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dellalyra · 9 months

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OMG I WAS JUST HAVING BRAINROT ABOUT GOJO AND Y/N IN THEIR TEEN YEARS AND

imagine that back then they had to participate in a talent show or something and megumi and the rest watch the old video tape they found in the darkest corner of the library on campus.

the tape was in a box with a label reading "the best jujutsu tech students' and its just filled with memories of their teen years.

they decide to watch the talent show one and its just chaotic as hell. mid way through megumi, nobara and yuuji get caught watching it lmao

𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨, 𝙘𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙖, 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣! 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴

A/N: this request. came in last night - and it’s all I’ve done today because it was so perfect it’s all I could think about. ur amazing ily

CW: swearing, weed, suggestive stuff, mdni i stg shoo

“Itadori! Bring these to the garbage!” Nobara shouts.

“Why me?! Why can’t you do it?!” He retorts as Megumi just rolls his eyes at the two of them, he wonders how they turned into siblings so easily.

“Fushiguro! Tell your boyfriend to take this to the garbage. It’s heavy and he should use his freaky wall-breaking strength for something useful!” She shouts back.

“Eh?! Is exorcising cursed and carrying you like a sack of flour not useful?! Or always carrying all your dumb shopping?!” They’ve broken into an all out sibling squabble by now, Megumi just turns away and continues the task of clearing out the storeroom behind the dojo in the school. Pushing boxes of old files and reports out of the way, he finds a box covered in doodles and stickers, taped shut at the top. He goes to inspect the very out of place container and finds words among the doodles of weirdly shaped beings and flowers.

‘The Best Jujutsu Tech Students.’

“Will you two shut up for two minutes, come look at this.” He says over his shoulder to the two, with Nobara releasing Yuuji from the headlock she somehow got him in.

“Ancient treasure! I told you we’d find something cool.” Yuuji shouts, pumping his fist into the air.

“What is this, Pirates of the Caribbean?! We’re clearing out a high school storage room, dumbass.” The girls rolls her eyes.

They inspect the box, trying to figure out the doodles.

“It doesn’t look super old? Open it, Itadori.” Nobara says.

“Will you quit telling me what to do?!” He says, huffing.

While they resumed the bickering, Megumi took a knife he had hidden in the shadows and sliced through the lines of tape holding the box together. The sound alerted the other two who peered into the box alongside him.

“Wait, are they… DVD’s?” Megumi asks.

“Yeah - but they’re homemade ones. Is there a label on them?” His boyfriend says, leaning in to get a closer looks.

The box itself was filled with small DVD cases of many colours - all labelled in a scrawling handwriting the kids felt like they knew.

“There’s a DVD player in the room where I hung out when I was dead.” Yuuji says, and hauls the box up and begins to walk. None of them even needed to discuss whether or not they’d be watching them, like a hive mind - but with maybe two shared brain cells.

They all made their way across campus, to a room in the same building as their Sensei’s office.

Nobara insisted on grabbing snacks from the vending machine en route, and they sat down on the sofa while Yuuji loaded the first date labelled ‘2003, December.” Well, that’s what they think it’s said. The handwriting was such a chicken scratch it almost looked like a doctor’s unintelligible writing.

The screen came to life - sounds buzzing and voices echoing (albeit muffled) as the screen panned from looking at the floor - to the sky, the the floor again. Then - a face came on screen.

A very familiar one - but… a hell of a lot younger.

“Wait… is that -?” Nobara asks.

“Shoko-sensei?!” Yuuji exclaims.

“That’s kinda how she looked when I was a kid. She’s in her uniform, so this must be when she was in school.” Megumi adds.

The camera pulls away from the close up on her face as another figure enters the shot - a man with odd bangs, silky black hair tied up into a bun and piercing dark eyes. He had a lazy smile in his face as he looked into the camera, poking a finger into Shoko’s cheek.

“What the fuck, Suguru?!” She says as she flicks his hand away.

“That’s - that’s Geto Suguru.” Megumi says. Geto had always been a bittersweet topic in their house, only getting worse in the last year and a half since… since he died.

The next action causes a gasp to echo across the room. A smiling face pops up between both figures.

Dark, circular sunglasses perched on a slim, pale nose and a wide, toothy, cheeky smile sat under a mop of shocking white, messy hair.

“Holy shit! That’s -” Yuuji starts.

“Dad.” Megumi whispers, seeing Satoru so young, probably around his age was amazing to him.

“Wow! It’s working! Is it on? Is it filming?” 16 year old Gojo says, voice eerily familiar, but much younger.

The three faces were all staring into the lens of the camera, only visible from the shoulders up. On screen, Shoko looked down and moved her arm and another head popped up from the bottom of the screen, trying to squeeze in.

The head of H/C hair and shiny eyes wiggled their way into the shot between Suguru and Shoko, and under Satoru.

“Did you say it’s on? It on recording right now?” The new figure pokes the camera.

“No fucking way… Fushiguro! That’s -” Nobara says, swirling to look at the taller boy.

“My mom.” He says, eyes fixed on screen. Your face was younger, hair the same as ever, eyes still full of excitement and curiosity and voice slightly higher than it is now. A hand pats the top of your head, a pale one - Satoru.

“Do a dance for the camera, Y/N.” Satoru says, smiling.

And you do a little wiggle in your spot squeezed between everyone as the other three burst out laughing.

The camera cuts off, and the screen changes to a view of the outside - all of them immediately recognising the training field.

In view is Geto and Gojo, sparring at such a ridiculously quick speed it’s barely visible. He could hear giggling behind the screen and recognised the voices of you and Shoko laughing about something that happened in class.

“They’re such show offs.” Your voice says.

“Geto genuinely wants to train, Gojo is just trying to impress you.” Shoko says, voice muffled by something - which he later sees as a lollipop, figuring it out when it gets launched across the field - presumably in retaliation for her comment by you.

“No way, Koko! That’s just dumb, he’s just a show off in general.” Your voice echoes.

“Whatever you say, Y/N.”

The camera cuts off again. The next thing they see is the night sky, and raucous laughter. The camera is being held by Shoko again, and she points it to a view of a rooftop - the flat part of the roof of the dorm building. The camera turns to one Suguru Geto, eyes hazy and smile even more languid than normal. In his hand was a smoking object - which he passed to Shoko.

They were both laughing together about Shoko saying she could see a constellation shaped like a penis, and the hysterical giggles and she rested her head on the boys shoulder told them that the joint in Shoko’s hand was very much affecting them.

There were clambering sounds.

“I can’t reach!” Came your voice, distant and off screen.

“C’mere shortstack, I’ll give you a boost.” The teasing lilt of Gojo’s voice came after.

“Thanks, Jack the Beanstalk.” Your retort sent the two original stars into another round of laughter before you and Gojo enter the frame, both holding a plastic bag of snacks.

Shoko gives you the joint as you sit, and you take a quick puff and pass it back to Suguru. Satoru declines it, saying it makes his eyes feel funny to which you all nod and say ‘makes sense’.

“Did you get me spicy chips?” Suguru asks, combing through the bags.

“Yes. But - you had to tell me you love me to get them.” Satoru says, smirking.

“Gojo Satoru - you are the light of my life, the centre of my world, the reason my heart beats, please, May I have my child you absolute fuckwad.” He says, as Satoru throws his head back laughing and throws a red bag of chips at him before tackling him to the ground demanding a kiss.

You laugh at the scene, turning to Shoko.

“See - that’s how Geto has at least one date every weekend.” You say, opening your chocolate.

“Man-whore.” She responds, sucking on a lollipop.

The screen flashes black. The same view is on the screen, but the atmosphere is much calmer. Suguru lay, head on Shoko’s lap and her deft fingers carding through his hair as he listens to whatever nonsense Gojo is spouting. The camera turns to a view that has Nobara and Yuuji cooing. Satoru is sitting, arm around your back to keep you upright with your head on his shoulder, eyes closed and clearly sleeping.

Suguru’s voice whispers into the camera.

“And these two say they’re not into each other.” Followed by a scoff from Shoko.

Next up is a view of the training field again, with a sight that made the three current first years laugh. Suguru was laying on the grass, and he was bench pressing you - his makeshift weight - as you lay relaxed horizontally reading a book, the casual nature made it clear this was a daily occurrence.

Once his reps are finished, he gently lets you down and you don’t even react, just laying on the grass continuing your book. He stands up and waves to Shoko, who he’s just noticed with her camera and proceeds to take off his shirt and let down his hair.

“Put your damn shirt back on!” Shoko shouts.

“God damn, maybe I should be a curse user.” Nobara utters, whistling and fanning herself.

The camera is next held up by Satoru - who smiles and puts a finger to his lips to symbolise silence, for some reason, like the camera would be unexpectedly loud. He turns the camera and in the backseat of a car is Shoko and you, both asleep and earphones split between you with a bright pink iPod on Shoko’s lap. Her head was resting in the crook of your neck, and you cheek rested on top of your head.

“They really have always been best friends, haven’t they?” Yuuji says. Megumi is reminded of last week, when Nobara and Yuuji fell asleep in the back of Ijichi’s car, in the exact same position.

The camera operator is back to Shoko now, who is filming the most beautiful scenery. Sakura petals are drifting through the air as throngs of people wander around what appears to be a festival. There’s food stalls and trinket stands and everyone around is in their finery.

“Suguru! Show the camera your best pose.” Shoko says, as Suguru appears on screen decked out in a black and grey kimono with his hair in a half up, half down style.

He throws a peace sign at the camera and then takes it so he can film Shoko who’s in a pretty red Yukata pattered with black and white koi. She smiles and then waves as she looks off camera.

“You’re late, Satoru. Where’s Y/N?” She says as Gojo comes on screen.

He’s wearing a dark blue and silver hakama which looks like it cost the same as a house, Suguru wolf whistles and Satoru pretends to fawn over him.

“She was having lunch with her mom, she’s probably going to be here - holy shit.” Satoru says, but cuts himself off halfway as his jaw drops open.

The camera pans messily as Suguru turns to where Satoru is looking.

You’re walking toward them, smile on your face and usually messy hair styled in a beautiful updo, make up making your skin glow in the afternoon sun. You were wearing a light pink, billowy, gauzy hanfu with tiny pale green flowers and leaves around the edges. You did truly look incredibly stunning. You had a little bag in your hand, and the camera flew back to look at Satoru who was gaping at your approaching figure. His usually pale skin flushed with a pink dusting.

His mouth moves, and it seems unconscious when he whispers to himself.

“Beautiful…”

You walk into the frame, smiling brightly and hugging Shoko and then freezing when you see Satoru, eyes widening at the strikingly handsome figure he makes, every inch a fairytale Prince. The pink on your cheek matches your outfit as you stammer out a breathy,

“Hi, Satoru.”

“Hey, Y/N.” He says, mouthing opening and closing as you look at him through fluttering lashes.

There’s a jolt as it seems Suguru holding the camera elbows his best friend and whispers in his ear, just audible to the camera.

“Bro, tell her she looks beautiful, damn it.”

“You… you look um - beautiful, Y/N.” He stammers out, and the three first years watching laugh at how their oh-so-smooth sensei was once such a mess he needed prompting to flirt from his friends.

You flush even deeper.

“Thank you, Satoru. You look really good too. The um… the blue really suits you. The restaurant I had lunch with my mom had Sakura mochi, so I - I got you some.” You say as you shove a small nicely wrapped box at him and Satoru seems to melt. Shoko appears on screen, making a circle with one hand and poking a finger through it repeatedly in a very lewd gesture that has Suguru cackling.

“Wait - they’re not even together yet. They didn’t get together until the end of their second year.” Megumi muses, smirking.

“So they’ve always been this whipped for each other.” Nobara laughs.

The DVD ends there, and Yuuji jumps up to put in the next one, labelled ‘second year’.

The video begins with you sprinting toward Shoko and her catching you in her arms.

“I missed you so much! A whole summer without you, it was torture. How was the medical camp?” You ask her, barely taking a breath between words.

“Did you not miss me, lil’ lady?” Came a smooth voice as one Geto Suguru wraps his arms around you too, and you squeal in excitement. The three standing are then abruptly tackled to the ground as a blur of white and black whizzes toward them.

“Satoru!” Came three scolding voices.

“How the fuck did you do that, you lanky - oh.” Shoko is stopped abruptly as they all stand up and the change in Satoru is clearly visible. Long gone is the beanstalk boy of their first year, all arms and legs at 16 and now at almost 18 - a broad shouldered, 6ft 3, sharper jawline and longer hair Gojo stands before them. You look like you might faint.

The video stops and then resumes looking at a very familiar blackboard, and a much younger Yaga beside it.

In front of the blackboard there’s two students in Jujutsu High uniforms - both in party hats and standing under a banners with ‘Welcome First Years!’ written in big bubble writing on it, the sounds of streamers and party poppers came through the room as the camera was set down on a desk.

Gojo comes on screen and waves his arms as if to show off the two students. One looked incredibly happy, a beaming smile full of excitement and the other looking absolutely miserable, but given how painfully 2005 emo he looked - it wasn’t surprising. Megumi smirked, seeing the blond boy on screen and knowing exactly who it was from photo albums you kept - but he waited to see when the other two would notice.

“Welcome to Yu Haibara! Please - introduce yourself!” Gojo says, pointing a bottle of cola at him like a microphone.

“Hi! I’m Yu! I’m 16 and I like rice and people!” He says, voice full of enthusiasm.

“Thank you! Next up, Gerard Way!” Satoru smiles and point the mock microphone to the other boy.

“Do I have to? This feels unnecessary.” He says, grimacing.

“Yes! You do!”

“Fine. My name is Nanami Kento -”

Megumi didn’t hear the rest of the sentence as a chorus of ‘What the fuck!?’ Echoes from the two beside him.

“Nobara, rewind that - I think I heard it wrong, I thought the emo kid said his name was Nanami, hah!” Yuuji exclaims.

“No need. You heard right.” Megumi smirks.

“No fucking way! That’s Nanamin?!” Yuuji is smiling so wide at the sight of his mentor as a moody teen.

“Yup. I remember his hair like that, he had a lip ring and a nose ring too. Geto Suguru pierced his nose with Shoko’s med kit for him when they drank too much whiskey at my mom’s 18th. There’s a picture of them doing it framed in their room at home.” Megumi scoffs a laugh, the other two in shock at the revelation.

The camera stops again and next time is looking from an upstairs window as voices whisper.

“What is she doing?” Shoko asks.

“It looks like she’s talking?” Geto asks.

“There’s a tiny spike in her cursed energy - wait, I’ll try see if there’s someone around.” He says and the clink of his sunglasses hitting the windowsill breaks the quiet.

On screen, there’s you in a pair of fluffy blue pyjamas and a winter knitted hat as you seem to be kneeling and ushering something small out of a bush. Satoru seems to have gotten distracted and the camera pans to him - who’s just staring out the window with the most dopey, lovestruck smile on his face.

“Satoru.” Suguru says, flicking his ear.

He snarls, but blushes.

“I - I can’t tell but, it kinda seems like? She is trying to talk to something.” He says, as they all crane their necks as you pull something into your arms and stand up, taking off your hat and tucking whatever you found into it and scurrying back inside.

An obnoxious ringtone of crazy frog blasts through the room and Satoru flips open his phone and answers it.

Since it’s you, he puts it on speaker.

“Hey, Satoru - are you still at the store? I - kinda need something, urgently.” Your voice asks.

“Eh - yeah, I’m at the store. What do you need?” He says, trying to hush the two sniggering traitors beside him who are fully aware that he came back from the store an hour ago and is sitting in Suguru’s dorm with them.

“I - um, I need kitten milk.” Your voice says, just as the camera cuts off.

The next few videos are just videos on videos on you and a tiny, tiny kitten, feeding it from a small bottle and it sleeping on your chest, or Satoru playing with it and a ball of wool in hysterical laughter. One video is taken by Shoko with Suguru in the frame playing with the kitten who is trying to catch his bangs and on the sofa, is you sitting on Satoru’s lap, as he looks at you adoringly and you giggle and place a kiss on his lips. Given that it’s about 3/4 of the way through your second year, it means you’re freshly together after torturing your friends with mutual pining.

Megumi looks closer at the kitten, and the tabby is very recognisable to him - given that to this day, the hairs of that kitten, now 13 years old and still thriving due to your unwavering spoiling, still decorate any black fabric in your home.

“Is that baby grumpy George?!” Nobara asks, hitting the nail on the head.

The video fades again, and then the screen is illuminated by a makeshift stage in the school sports hall. Another large banner is on the wall, with ‘Talent Show’ written in large writing, Megumi now noticed the big bubble writing was the same as had been on every ‘happy birthday’ banner he’d had every year.

The announcer, he recognises as a smiling principal Yaga - even though this is surely not a school organised or endorsed event, but probably the work of the couple he now calls his parents.

“Welcome to Jujutsu Talent Show! The rules of tonight are as follows a) no cursed techniques or cursed energy and absolutely no sabotaging! Panda! Do you want to say who’s going first?” Yaga announced as he lifts up a baby panda and the voice of the baby says “Nanami and Yu!”.

Yu skips on stage, decked out in a cape patterned with stars and a large top hat, followed by a very sullen Nanami Kento, adorned with a nose and lip ring now.

“Ladies, gentlemen, cursed corpses! My name is Yu the Magic Man and this is my assistant, the Fantastical Nanamin! Does anyone here like rabbits?” He announced, and takes off his hat, revealing a stuffed rabbit on his head - commencing the world’s worst magic show. The highlight was definitely Yu asking Nanami to pull the scarf from his sleeve and after pulling and pulling and pulling, a very frustrated Kento growls ‘Fucking hell, Yu - how long is this thing?’ Completely breaking what little mysticism surrounded the performance. Geto didn’t help, when he muttered ‘that’s what she said’ after Nanami’s complaint, setting the second years off.

After a bow to his rapt audience, and lots of cheering and supportive clapping from you all - the first years leave and Yaga announces the next performance.

A loud bang echoes through the room,

“Holy shit!” Your voice, the 28 year old you, carries through the room as three heads spin around to see their sensei’s back, arms supporting the thighs around his waist, belonging to his wife who’s lipstick is smudged across her cheek and her husband’s face. The white haired man’s white shirt was partially unbuttoned and your sweater had fallen completely off you shoulder - combined with the position you entered the room and the ruined cosmetics it was quite clear why the teachers had stumbled into this forgotten room of jujutsu tech.

“Get a fucking room.” Megumi grumbles.

“We were! But you’re here! And just for that I’m gonna tell you that the sofa you’re sitting on was where Akio was conceived.” Gojo retorts, trying to fix himself as all the kids groan.

“Both of you, hush. ‘Toru - look at the screen.” You were transfixed on the paused screen.

“Wait! Is that - that’s our talent show! From second year! Where did you guys find this?” Satoru says, leaping over the back of the sofa and plopping down but not before turning around and picking you up by the waist and sitting you in his lap.

“I thought all the DVD’s were lost! Koko couldn’t find them after we graduated!” You say, as you keep staring at the screen.

“We were clearing out the storage room, like Ijichi asked and we found a funky box with DVD’s in it.” Yuuji says.

“Oh my god! Press play!” You say, clapping.

“Look at angry Nanamin!” Gojo says, smiling.

“Next up is Y/N and Shoko!” Screen Yaga announces.

You and Shoko are dressed in the most colourful outfits ever, you’re beaming and Shoko looks exhausted. Large headbands, crimped hair, tutu skirts, leggings, neon leg warmers and beads were the costume of choice as Geto stood on one side of the stage.

“Welcome to - Y/N and Shoko’s dance bonanza!” You both say, and Geto presses play so that Girl’s Just Wanna Have Fun plays to match the 80s Cyndi Lauper style outfits. Having danced ballet as a little girl, and being a big fan of Just Dance and Dance Dance Revolution - you decided that you and Shoko would do this for the show, exhausted and unenthusiastic - but endlessly loyal to her best friend and determined to not let Gojo win the show. You guys danced a perfectly in sync routine with 28 year old you shouting ‘Oh my god, I still remember the routine!’ Halfway through. Yuuji was hopping along on the sofa beside Megumi.

Before Shoko could collapse into a heap as the song finished, she was thrown over Suguru’s shoulder and hauled off stage with Gojo doing the same for you.

After a brief intermission, Geto and Gojo were welcomed on stage in matching black tuxedo’s, off camera your voice could be heard saying ‘ugh, I’m gonna climb that man like a tree later, suits are the best.’

“Ladies, gents - tonight welcome to The GS squared stand up comedy show, enjoy your night and Geto’s number is available after the show.” Gojo drawls into the mic.

Megumi didn’t expect the routine to be as funny as it was, everyone especially enjoyed the part where they did impressions of different Jujutsu Elders, including Naobito Zen’in and Principal Gakuganji - which were unnervingly accurate but highly offensive to them, especially when Gojo got on his knees to imitate how short the elder Kyoto principal was and Geto kept playing Looney Tunes on the projector to show Naobito’s ‘cursed technique’.

When the audience were thoroughly hysterically laughing, with the audience being Yaga, MeiMei, Panda, Y/N, Shoko, Yu, Kento and Utahime who was visiting Shoko for the weekend, the boys bowed, winked and walked off stage and the camera caught Gojo bending down to whisper something in his ear which had you looking at the sky and blushing - still getting used to openly loving each other.

The voting wasn’t recorded, but the winners announcement was and it was shown to be Yu and Nanami - who everyone, except for themselves had voted for.

“Oh my god, these are priceless! I can’t believe I got even funnier with age, and look at your cute little outfit, princess!” Satoru coos.

“There’s a whole box of them, we’ve only watched 2!” Yuuji says, bouncing and handing the box to you and Satoru.

“No way, it’s the whole box! I remember decorating it with Koko! Hold on, I’m gonna ring her to come here.” You say as you take out your phone, smiling at the lockscreen of Satoru, Megumi and your 6 month old son and pulling up Shoko’s contact to ring her to ‘get her ass down here for a surprise’.

“Oh, ‘toru! I bet our DVD of our trip together to Fiji in the summer of third year, Shoko lent us her came for it!” You say, wrapping your arms around him and settling in while Yuuji loads the next DVD.

“Classes are cancelled, I’ve decided it’s home movie day - do we have any popcorn?” Satoru says, smiling at how fondly Megumi is looking at the screen, a still pause screen of himself and you smiling in the training yard together - still looking as lovingly at each other 13 years later. Yuuji has his arm wrapped and Megumi’s shoulders and is leaning into him, as the dark haired boy rubs circles on his boyfriend’s knee - Nobara has her legs stretched across the laps of both boys as the newest video begins.

The door swings open, Shoko entering -

“No fucking way! You found them! Kids, move up - let Aunty Koko sit.” She says, plopping herself between the arm and her two best friends, her nephew and their bonus kids.

She’s glad she bought that camera.

#jjk #jjk x reader #gojo satoru #gojo satoru x reader #gojo x reader #gojo fluff #anime #family formations extras #dad!gojo

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hospital-project · 2 years

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#Ultrasound Systems #or more popularly known as ultrasound machines #are instruments that use high-frequency sound waves to create images of the inside of the human body. The clarity of these pictures depends #and how many come back to where they started. That's why your doctor or technician will move it back and forth over the area being inspecte #The ultrasound system has many other names #such as diagnostic ultrasound machines #portable ultrasound #doppler machines #home ultrasound machines #ultrasound equipment #ultrasound scan machine #etc.

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yanderemommabean · 3 months

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Yandere red room idea

The Red rooms. It’s not something He really thought he’d find himself using but here he is, walking up the corridor with a key card in his pocket. It’s definitely a secret society type of deal, code words, secret hand gestures, one use keys, all the security one could imagine. The first time he even heard of such a place like this, he assumed it was dark internet fetish mumbo jumbo.

But after he found you, well, the right people found him and led him to the right place. Not a room of pain, but one of pleasure, to show his darling all of his intense love and emotion and then some.

He hasn’t even booked a room yet, he’s here as a sort of consultation visit. To see if he really has the balls to do this and show that yes, he adores you, and that his love outweighs anyone else’s.

Sliding the card into the door brought him into an empty room besides a desk, a few chairs, and two large filing cabinets. He takes a look around, quickly surveying the area, before stepping inside fully and sitting in the chair facing the large office chair in front of him. Before he can let his shoulders relax, a man follows in behind him, followed by a woman as well, both dressed professionally and seeming very…happy.

“Ah! It’s good to see you, Mr-”

“Lee, you can just call me Lee. And you are?” He asks, gesturing to the woman standing beside the man in the suit as he begins to open a manilla envelope, spreading the papers out on the table.

“Victoria. We can leave it at that. I can tell that you know secrecy and customer privacy are our top priority with this business” She says with a knowing smile, sliding the papers over to face them towards the doctor.

“Now, Lee, What we have here is a very basic outline of what we can do for you and that love bug you’ve found yourself. We celebrate rather than punish our loved ones here, and want them to understand that to their core! We find that the red room experience helps!” The man exclaims with excitement, but has yet to really introduce himself.

Lee was told to expect that however. The leader behind this all was kind enough to reach out but he wasn’t to expect anything too personal. “All business” was his very aura, and Lee could respect that. He nods along as Victoria took the reigns, explaining some of their core beliefs before getting to what Lee really wanted to know.

“We can make the room however you please, lease it for up to four days at a time with personnel who checks in every four hours with their own special keys, for the darlings sake. As much as we wish to fully trust our customers, we will not take the risk of them dying or being seriously injured in any way. As stated, this is a way to show love and we give you the tools to do so! “ Victoria then spreads apart the papers, pointing here and there as she explains a bit more, intriguing Lee with every bit. “We have romantic layouts like at a hotel, we have BDSM specialist rooms, we have very highly rated toys and devices that we inspect and clean before each room is ready, and we have a live stream option if you’re the type who thinks everyone should see the pleasure you’re darling is receiving! I personally recommend the tribbing machines with the black rose theme if you prefer the dom and sub type of vibe, but we can personalize however you like!”

Huh. Wow. They’re very thorough aren’t they?

The business man nods, sitting back in his seat as he adjusts his tie. “I started many companies in my life, all based on bringing smiles and joy, and it’s my personal belief that there needs to be a company looking out for your lover! Love, adventurous or more mellow, is a beautiful thing that our darlings need to be showered in as much as possible. If you’d like, this can also be set up in a way to just calmly express your love to your darling, but I will clarify that it isn’t guaranteed to go well…I advise getting our crews to pick them up and deliver them for you, with every person being given a background check of course! Safety and security is what comes first for your darling”

Lee was a bit flabbergasted to say the least. They talk so professionally, have such a strange ethic to them, and they act as if he’s about to buy a company or large house rather than finally get ahold of the love of his life. It’s…Odd but charming. He can’t say he’s turned away from this, in fact he has a few ideas for his own red room.

“Are they CPR trained and do they have basic first aid knowledge?” Lee asks as he looks over some more of the photos, liking the array of toys they had up for use to add to the room, each one costing extra of course but for what he had planned…it wouldn’t be too bad.

Victoria smirks, laughing lightly in amusement “I can see we’ve caught even more of your attention. We can make sure these personnel are trained for the pick up, but our permanent staff are already trained in first aid help and some, even small surgical emergencies. You know, always needing to be prepared and all”.

They talk a few more things out, Lee deciding that if these people were serious, then he could trust them. If they crossed him in any way, he’d easily rid at least a handful of them. He didn’t get that gut feeling he usually does when people are lying to him however. This felt thorough and legit and well…Professional.

“It’s a pleasure doing business with you Mr Lee. We’ll be getting in touch with you shortly! You wont regret setting this up-” the business man says with a firm handshake, smiling in an almost uncanny way. “And remember, when you’re in a bind, one of our smiles will ease your mind"

-Mommabean (This was so silly but I hope you enjoyed nonetheless!)

#yandere imagines #yandere scenarios #mommabean #yandere CEO #yandere red room #yandere male #Victoria my oc #CEO my oc #Dr lee my oc #Doctor lee my oc #lovely smiles corps

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am-i-obsessed---maybe · 7 months

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New Face (11th Doctor x Timelord!Reader)

watch me make a series out of a oneshot that was very much not meant to be a series— anyway, one david tennant hyperfixation led to another and now I'm rewatching Matt Smith's run as The Doctor and you know what that means!

Also requests are open!

Wordcount: 1.4k

Series masterpost

Summery: a new face a new doctor and the start of a new adventure with a lovely little girl who just wants a ride in a time machine.

Things change quickly with the Doctor. You knew that well.

One moment you're comforting the face that rescued you the next you're putting out fires around the Tardis as it wildly flies over the skies of London.

"A little help over here!" The Doctor cried, he's barely holding onto the edge of the Tardis, his body hanging out through the front doors. His new voice is higher than the one you knew.

"In a minute love!" You yell back, there was no other option than yelling over the explosions of the console and the many alarms going off.

Another explosion rocked the Tardis and the Doctor manages to pull himself up as you adjust the angle at which the Tardis is basically crashing towards the ground. There's no other option but to crash so you tried to crash in the least horrific way you could.

The thing is, you crash sideways, tipping you and the Doctor deep into the Tardis.

"Oh for fucksake—" You said as you landed against one of the couches in the library. "Oi! Language!" The doctor chided. He had the luck of landing with a big splash in the swimming pool that for some reason was in the library.

"Since when do you care about about language?" You asked him, helping him out of the pool.

"Since now evidently" He said and started looking around for ways to get out.

You handed him a grappling line.

"Care to do the honors?" You asked and he smiled, launching it as far as he could and when he felt it was stable he began to climb up.

When he finally made it to the Tardis doors you heard him talking to someone. You hadn't the faintest clue as to who.

"Love, make some room!" You called from below him and he climbed onto the Tardis, looking down.

"Woah, look at that" He said in awe as he looked at the Tardis. It was quite a view though you would have appreciated a hand as you climbed up to join him.

That's when you saw the little girl standing beside the Tardis in her nightie and bright bright red boots that matched her bright red hair. Well not really red. Human red, which was more of a copper.

"Hello there" You said, wiping the sweat from your brow.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Just had a fall, all the way down there right to the library. Hell of a climb back up" The Doctor told her.

"You're soaking wet" The little girl said.

"He landed in the swimming pool" You added.

She turned to look at the Doctor, "You said you were in the library".

"So was the swimming pool" He answered.

She looked a bit confused but quickly kept the questions coming.

"Are you a policeman?" She asked.

"Why? Did you call a policeman?" The Doctor asked, meanwhile you climbed down from the Tardis and onto the ground, inspecting the crash site.

"Did you come about the crack in my wall?" The little girl asked.

"What crack—" The Doctor started but he fell, clutching his chest as he groaned in pain.

You weren't worried. He was still coming off of his regeneration meaning he was practically invincible.

"Are you okay mister?" The little girl asked.

"I'm fine, it's okay, this is all perfectly normal" He said, some fleck of regeneration energy floating out of his mouth.

You turned back to the Doctor and the little girl, content with you assessments of the crash site.

"I'm sorry, we seem to have crashed into your shed" You said to the little girl and she looked between you and the Doctor.

"Who are you?" She asked and you smiled, leaning down to be at her eye level.

"My name is Y/N and he" You said, pointing at your lover who was currently watching the regeneration energy still filling his hands "-is The Doctor."

The Doctor got his bearings, or at least tried to, coming up beside you. "Does it scare you?" He asked.

"Does what scare me?" She asked.

"The crack in your wall, does it scare you?" He repeated.

"Yes" She answered, almost shyly.

This excited him. "Well then, no time to lose. Like he said I'm The Doctor, do everything I tell you, don't ask stupid questions and don't wander off" He said confidently and started walking.

"Love" You said and he turned his head back to face you, causing him to walk straight into the tree you wanted to warn him about.

The little girl walked over to him where he was just lying on the ground.

"You alright?" She asked.

"Early days" He said, "Steering's a bit off plus he distacted me" he said, pointing at you.

With a roll of your eyes you went over to help him up.

"You really should sit down and eat something love, you're running on fumes" You told him and shrugged.

"I'll be fine" He said and you sighed, turning to the little girl.

"Can you do me a favor and get him something to eat? Maybe then the two of you can have a look at that scary crack in your wall" You suggested and she nodded, you gave her The Doctor's hand and told her to be careful with him cause he's very iratible right now and he complained as the little girl walked with him into the house and you stayed outside with the Tardis.

You had a feeling this would be a regular thing with this new Doctor. You cleaning up after him.

You could already see so many differences between his old self and this new one.

Besides the obvious physical difference this new body was much more wild. He was already all over the place much more than your old Doctor. But he was also charming. You were sure you'd love him just as much once he figured himself out a bit more, after all he did the same for you.

All that time ago when you promised you would never leave him, when you told you loved him, when you stayed by his side even as the power of a sun was burning through his body. You stayed with him and regenerated and he helped you. He carefully picked you up and placed you back in the medbay of the ship you were on and when you woke up he helped you get accustomed to your new body and he kept loving you just like he did before. So you would do the same.

You checked the grappling line and when you were sure it would hold you went back into the Tardis.

nothing in the console room was on fire anymore which was good. You went one by one checking the systems and resetting what needed it. That is until the ringing started.

you hadn't actually gotten to checking the engines yet. The ringing was coming from the engines.

"No, no, no, no, no— Come on!" You cried as you tried to settle them.

"Just calm down a bit will you?" You tried to ask the Tardis but she wasn't having it.

"Y/N! What's going on in there?" The Doctor hollered as he ran out of the house.

"She's throwing a tantrum!" You yelled through the open Tardis doors.

"It's just a box, how can a box be throwing a tantrum?" The little girl said. You still didn't know her name.

"Not a box, it's a time machine" The Doctor said.

"What, a real one?" she asked, you popped your head out of the Tardis just enough to look at them.

"Doctor come on!" You said, popping back into the console room.

"Five minute hop into the future should do it" The Doctor said, climbing onto the Tardis.

"Can I come?" The girl asked.

"Not safe in here, five minutes, give me five minutes, I'll be right back" He said.

"People always say that" She said and the Doctor stopped, he climbed back down to the ground and kneeled in front of the little girl.

"Am I people?" He asked, "Do I even look like people? Trust me, I'm the Doctor" He said.

He climbed back onto the Tardis, gave the girl one last look and jumped in, "Geronimo!"

With him inside the ringing finally stopped.

"There you go, you just don't like it when Y/N drives" The Doctor cooed at the console.

You rolled your eyes.

"Doctor" You asked, "What did you tell that little girl?"

"I told her we'd be back in five minutes" He said, running around the console, hitting buttons and turning switches.

"Did you get her name?" You asked and he smiled.

"Yes! Amelia Pond! Brilliant name isn't it? Amelia Pond"

#male reader #doctor who x male reader #11th doctor x male reader #11th doctor #11th doctor x reader #eleventh doctor x reader #timelord reader #amy pond #young amy pond #the tardis is cranky #reader insert

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starry-bi-sky · 9 months

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tick tock

Highkey dedicating this to @watercolour-carnations bc they sent me an ask about my 'danny is thomas wayne' au and singlehandedly revitalized my brainrot for it. Apparently the quickest way to a starry's heart is through their ask box

Now posted on ao3 under the name 'dniwer eht kcolc'!

In hindsight, hosting a science exhibit was probably not the best idea that Bruce has ever. This wasn't even one of Bruce's galas and, yet he was still attending because it gave him the opportunity to scope out any potential rogues (or henchmen).

Damian was by his side, and Tim was on the other side of the room, inspecting some of the other inventions under the prospect of gaining new hires for R&D at WE. Something that was not entirely false. Bruce could always use new, bright minds working to make Gotham a better place.

He was, particularly, eyeing up one moderately-sized invention that a woman with cutting blue eyes and stark white hair had covered with a white sheet. An interesting choice when everyone else had already revealed their own inventions. Drifting closer with Damian, he smiles charmingly at the scientist when they lock eyes.

"And what is this interesting contraption?" He asks, looking over the sheet as if it was the invention itself and not what was underneath.

The woman curled purple-painted fingers around the sheet, yanking it down to reveal a machine that looks like a mix of a jukebox and a grandfather clock. A long wire was attached to it, and a strange, blinking, circlet-like device connected on the other end.

Bruce's brows rose considerably, and he could sense Damian's eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"This is my Holographic Memory Machine -- the name is still a work in progress -- it's a memory machine meant to allow anyone to relive their memories right in front of them, even the ones they don't remember." The woman says with a smile, her name card reads 'Dr. Casey W. Kairos'. He's never heard of her before. An out-of-townie, perhaps?

"Interesting." Bruce's hands fold behind his back and he looks down at his disinterested son, and then back up to Dr. Kairos. It sounded harmless, but even a pencil could be harmless until enough force was put into it. "How does that work?"

Dr. Kairos walks over and holds up the strange circlet device, "The user wears this headband. It scans their brainwaves and then plays a memory of their choice right in front of them like a hologram, including any voices that came with it." She explains, showing it off to Bruce and Damian. "Would either of you like to try it? The HMM has been tested and it is completely safe."

Damian scoffs and turns to him, "This is a waste of time, father," He says, "let's move on."

"Oh, don't be like that, Dames." Bruce smiles genially, placing a hand on his son's shoulder and squeezing it. It reminds him of when his father used to do the exact same thing, and he turns to Dr. Kairos. "I can try it, Doctor."

Kairos smiles widely, looking incredibly pleased. "Come stand here then, Mr. Wayne. I can get the HMM up and working." She gestures to a spot on the floor within the circlet's range, and Bruce goes and does as told.

"Standing around and looking pretty is my specialty, Doctor Kairos." He jokes as she gets the device situated on his head. It sits on his forehead snugly, and tucks behind his ears. Kairos snorts and turns to get the machine activated.

"Father." Damian says, indignant and scowling. His arms crossed over his chest petulantly. Bruce chuckles at him.

"The Doctor said it was perfectly safe, Damian." He admonishes lightly, wagging a finger at him. "I trust the good lady to know what she's doing." Not really, but he'd rather test it out on himself if it was unsafe.

Thirty seconds passed with Dr. Kairos working on flicking on the HMM, and when it came alive it came with a low hum and a distinct, ticking like noise. "Ah, there we go." She hums, stepping away. "It's up and working, Mister Wayne. Just think of a memory and let the HMM do the rest."

"Thank you, Doctor." Bruce nods at her, and then tries to think of what to let the machine show. Nothing that would give away his identity as Batman, of course not. Nothing incriminating.

He looks to Damian, who still looked very unhappy with him. Perhaps a memory of one of his boys in the manor? Or a Brucie Wayne moment that everyone's seen. His brows furrow in thought. One of his speeches?

...No. No, he has an idea.

Immediately, the HMM begins to hum louder, the ticking drowned out by the sound of its fans kicking in. It starts drawing the attention of the other ongoers, and Damian steps to Bruce's side as a crowd begins to form.

"What is that thing?"

"What's it doing?"

"Is it safe?"

Hushed whispers scatter around them as more and more people abandon the other stalls in favor of seeing whatever spectacle was happening. Tim appears as well, pushing his way through the crowd and situating himself by Damian and Bruce.

"What's going on?" He whispers with a frown, looking between Bruce and Damian.

Damian hmphs, "Father is trying out this woman's 'Memory Machine'."

Just when Bruce is starting to think the machine doesn't work, he hears a sound that silences the spectators. A piano note. A singular note, followed by another, and another. Right before Bruce's eyes, the air shimmers, and a projection of his father sitting at the grand piano appears before him.

His breath hitches in his throat. He remembers this. He remembers this piece. It was father's favorite.

Damian and Tim are stiff at his side, and Bruce hears the crowd gasp.

There, sitting on the floor at the bench, is Bruce himself at six years old. He's resting his arms on it, and leaning his head on his arms with a look of pure adoration -- did he really look like that? -- aimed at his father.

There's no talking between them, a content silence as Thomas Wayne fills the air with his piano playing. That is-- until he stops midway through the piece, fingers stopping the keys with a abrupt jerk.

Thomas laughs, quiet and full of love, and little Bruce picks his head up with an affronted frown. "Why'd you stop? I like listening to you play."

"I know you do." Thomas says, his voice is as soothing as Bruce remembers it to be. The memory twists to look at little Bruce with a blinding smile, as if he was looking at his whole world. It's the first time in decades that Bruce has seen his father smiling like-- like that. His eyes involuntarily sting.

"But how can you hear so well when you're all the way down there?" Thomas shifts, and pats an open space on the bench. "Come sit up here, Boo. I can teach you to play."

(Thomas Wayne was always fond of pet names, he had plenty of them for Bruce, and he used them at every opportunity.)

Little Bruce perks up, "Really?" He grins, and then clambers into the bench. His father's arms wrap around him.

The voices fade as the memory slowly begins to collapse, and Bruce feels a spike of panic in his heart before the memory is replaced by another one.

He's younger, probably four years old, being sprayed down by a hose by his father. Little Bruce is squealing with laughter, trying to swat the water away like a fly, and his clothes are drenched.

Thomas is laughing as well, wearing a button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He looks like he just came home from a business meeting. Bruce always thought he was old when he was little. But at four years old, Thomas Wayne is only a little over twenty. Barely an adult. He is twenty-four when he dies. He was so young.

"Stop! Stop! Stop!" Little Bruce squeals, trying to run out of the line of fire, but Thomas Wayne has a sharp eye, and the hose in his hands follow Bruce no matter where he goes.

Until finally Thomas drops the hose and runs towards Bruce, who is trying to recover from being sprayed down with ice cold water. Thomas reaches him before he has time to move, and scoops him up in his arms.

He is laughing loudly and boisterously, spinning them both around as Bruce clings to him for dear life, laughing with him. The memory fades away, and Bruce feels like there are hands around his throat trying to choke him.

A new one shows up, one he doesn't remember at all. His father is younger than before, a teenager, and he's holding a tiny bundle in his arms. He looks like he's on the verge of tears, hunched over it like a shield.

Someone, a girl with gothic attire, peers over his shoulder. "Gosh, Tom, a baby? That's a lot of responsibility." She says, dark-lipstick lips painted downwards in a frown. "And right after you've disowned your parents too?"

Another boy looks around Thomas with a similar frown and an uncertain look, "Yeah man, I'm with Sam on this one -- for once. You don't even have anywhere to live."

Thomas doesn't look like he's even paying attention, utterly smitten with the baby -- its himself, Bruce realizes -- he's cradling. "Look at him though, guys," he breathes, "he's so tiny. Have you seen his little watercolor eyes?"

(Watercolor eyes. Bruce had long since forgotten about that nickname his father gave him. hearing him say it is like a punch to his stomach.)

"You named him Bruce?"

Bruce huffs to himself, an involuntary smile twitching at his mouth as the memory dips again and cycles through another memory he recognizes.

The memories it shows are sporadic, with no chronological order to them other than each and every one is a happy one.

Bruce playing piano with his father.

Bruce stargazing with his father.

Bruce being carried on his father's shoulders.

Bruce getting ready for a gala with his father.

Bruce in the kitchen helping his dad make breakfast (there's pancake flour smeared on his cheek).

Bruce making a snowman with his father.

An apology between Bruce and his father in the form of a piano duet.

There are even a few memories he doesn't remember. Some of them are when he's old enough to, but many are when he's a baby. Some are before his father was adopted by the Waynes, when the only thing on their backs was a raggedy backpack and an oversized sweatshirt, and Bruce's baby blanket. And some are after, where he's sitting in an antique rocking chair bottle feeding Bruce with a look of sheer adoration on his face.

That look never seems to go away, ever, in any of the memories.

Finally, the HMM settles on a final memory, one that makes Bruce's blood run cold and snaps him out of his nostalgic revelry. His father is getting ready in his room, and Bruce comes barreling in with his own suit-and-tie.

"Dad! Dad! Dad!" He chants, running to Thomas, who whirls around and picks him up seamlessly. They spin twice before Thomas settles in front of the mirror, Bruce on his hip as he adjusts his tie with one hand.

"Yes, boo?" Thomas grins, wide-splitting with his shock-blue eyes looking at Bruce in the reflection. He and Bruce have the same eyes. It's shocking how much they look like each other, now that Bruce was older.

Little Bruce makes a dramatic face, a look that only lasts a few seconds before he remembers his excitement. He wiggles in Thomas' arms, "You gotta hurry up! Or we'll be late to the movie!"

Bruce's fingers dig into his palm, and he can vaguely feel his sons' looking at him. There's a feeling of impending doom square in the center of his lungs, and he forces himself to look on.

Thomas laughs, and nuzzles Bruce's cheek. "The movie isn't going anywhere, chum, I promise." He says, before setting him down. Little Bruce pouts, his lower lip sticking out. "I know how much you've been looking forward to this."

"Can you help me with my tie then?" Bruce asks, and looks at his own, sloppily done tie around his neck. "I can never get it right."

And, of course, Thomas Wayne kneels down to redo it. He always did everything Bruce asked or wanted. He measures it, loops it, and then knots the tie perfectly.

"There." He says, and smoothes out Bruce's little jacket, smiling in adoration. "Now go play, I'll call you when it's time to go."

And Bruce does just that, running out of the room with a yell of, "You better promise!"

"I promise!" Thomas yells back, laughing at his son as he turns back to the mirror.

The memory shimmers, and changes to as they're leaving. And then and there does Bruce call it quits. His eyes are glistening, his tears nearly blinding him with the swelling, overwhelming grief in his heart. He looks away, and tries to find Doctor Kairos.

(He doesn't see her switch something on the side of the machine. There is no noticeable difference in the machine, but on the inside a time rune starts to glow.)

"I think I'm done here, Doctor." He says once he can find his voice without it shaking. He can't hide the full crack and tremble laying beneath it, but at least he doesn't cry. He's almost forgotten that he had a silent audience.

Doctor Kairos nods and steps forward, reaching for the headband. "The memories should cut off once I take this off, Mister Wayne." She says, and fiddles with it for a moment. Behind her, the memory of himself and his father are walking outside. "I hope that wasn't too much for you?"

(The ticking of the machine grows louder, and the memory glitches.)

"No, no." Bruce assures with a smile that wasn't all Brucie Wayne yet. He looks down when he feels Damian's hand curl around his, and his son leans into his side. His smile softens, and he presses Damian closer. His other arm finds itself over Tim's shoulders as well, pressing him to his side.

"It was fine. Actually, it was an honor to be the first to try out your memory machine. I'm sure it will help many people." He tells her. She smiles slyly, and slides the headband off his head.

"That's what I'm hoping for, Mister Wayne." Doctor Kairos places the headband onto the table. The memory hasn't disappeared, Bruce notes with a furrow of his brows. And the audio has muffled slightly.

"I thought you said that the memory would cut off when the headband was off?" He asks. Kairos looks at him, and then behind her at the memory. She frowns.

"It should have--"

Little Bruce suddenly frowns, and looks away from Thomas. "Do you hear that?"

Bruce frowns. "I don't remember this." That wasn't in his memory. They just went straight to Monarch Theater without any issue.

Thomas looks down at his son, "What noise?" He asks, squeezing Bruce's hand. His head cranes, as if trying to hear whatever noise Bruce was hearing.

"That ticking sound." Bruce's frown deepens, "It sounds like your clock, dad."

Thomas' immediately frowns, looking so strikingly like Bruce that he marvels for a moment. He looks around as well. "...You're right. I hear it too." He steps a little closer to Bruce, his hand tightening around his.

A sense of unease fills Bruce's lungs. "What's going on?" He asks, taking a step away from the memory. This was different. This isn't his memory.

"I'm not sure." Doctor Kairos says, and her unsurety sounds so practiced and calm that Bruce's suspicion levels to her immediately. His boys look at her too with the same unease. "This wasn't supposed to happen."

She strides around the memory to the side of the machine just as a gold symbol appears on the ground. It looks like a giant roman clock, and a loud, clunky ticking fills the room.

The memories see it too, and Bruce's heart drops to his feet as he and the rest of the crowd back away from it. "Dad, what is that?!" Little Bruce exclaims, a look of fear morphing across his face as he suddenly clings to his dad's leg.

Thomas looks pale, looking at his feet and gripping little Bruce to him protectively. "I don't-- I don't know, Bruce."

(A memory that Bruce doesn’t have is his father arguing with a man named Clockwork. He does not see the man named Clockwork all but beg Thomas not to go out tonight.)

("Does something happen to Bruce?" His father asks the ghost.)

("No," the man says, "but--")

("But nothing, Clockwork." Thomas, once Danny, says firmly. "My son has been looking forward to this all week. I'm not going to crush his hopes by changing my mind last minute.")

("Thomas, please.")

("Look, if something happens tonight, I will handle it, okay?" Thomas assures him, a hand atop Clockwork's shoulder with a small smile. "I promise.")

(And then he leaves, Clockwork defeated in his wake.)

(Clockwork has seen this boy grow up from the shadows, and now he can do nothing to stop his fate like he once did before.)

The strange, clock-like circle, something intrinsically magic, begins to glow. The minute and hour hands tick faster and faster. Little Bruce holds onto his father like a lifeline, and Thomas Wayne crouches down to hold his son tighter, protectively.

Bruce Wayne turns away just as the light grows blinding, tucking Tim and Damian into his chest like a human shield. There is yelling and screams as the crowd tries to stampede away from it.

Bruce has no idea what this light will do, but he'd rather die than let his sons get hurt.

The light burns his eyelids even when he isn't facing it. And when it dies without even a burn across his back, Bruce slowly unfurls. His hands stay on his sons' shoulders, keeping them close to him, and he peers over his shoulder.

There on his knees, is Thomas Wayne, curled protectively around eight year old Bruce Wayne, much like Bruce had been. Bruce holds his breath, and his sons slowly unfurl themselves as well and peer around him.

Thomas Wayne is frozen in place for one second, two seconds, three. And then he begins to move. First, the tension drains out of his shoulders, and his head jerks, as if surprised that nothing has happened.

He looks up, his eyes open, and he and Bruce make eye contact. Bruce cannot breathe, and he cannot believe the sight before him. It's just the memory machine breaking. (Doctor C.W Kairos is nowhere to be found.)

And then recognition flickers in his father's face as his panting slows and quiets. His head tilts to the side like a fawn's, a familiar wrinkle appearing before his brows.

"Bruce?"

#danny phantom #dp x dc #dp x dc crossover #dpxdc #danny fenton is not the ghost king #dp crossover #danny fenton is thomas wayne au #dftw au #oh my gfod this is so long #watercolour-carnations how does it feel to have singlehandedly revitalized my brainrot over this au #the fastest way to starry's heart is through their askbox #anyways i was thinking about this the whole time #the memory with clockwork was SUPPOSED to be seen by bruce honestly!#but i couldnt write it in properly #imo at least #io had to check the wordcount on this and this is THREE THOUSAND WORDS #OOPS I ACCIDENTALLY WROTE A 3k WORD ONESHOT #YOU KNOW. AS YOU DO

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babyjakes · 2 months

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about the event | eun hosts a private practice blurb night for the month of march 2024!

dates and times | requests will be accepted over two weeks, from mon. march 11th to sat. march 23rd. the event will begin at 12pm cst on sat. march 23rd.

submission guidelines | the theme of this event is eun's new medfet au, private practice! check out the private practice au masterlist to find out more about the characters. more detailed requests are more likely to be chosen. please make sure your submission follows eun’s general request guidelines. please include the following in your request:

the doctor of your choice (levinson for nondark or soft!dark, hansen for truer dark) a nurse or specialist to assist a medfet theme or scenario medfet and other kink elements you'd like included a daddy!character for reader (if relevant)

looking for medfet inspo? | eun's providing a list of ideas below the cut!

medfet prompts.

gynecology: exams, screenings, procedures orgasmic and sexual functioning: pleasure response testing, orgasm trials, forced orgasm therapy, toleration of penetration deviance and behavior: refusal to orgasm, breaking no touch/play rules, general brattiness/defiance medical bondage: restraints, dental gags, drugging/sedation watersports: holding kink, forced wetting/release, diaper play, catheter play medical tools and devices: injections, sexual enhancement drugs and topicals, dilators, speculum, thermometers, suction devices, vibrators, swabs and brushes, "penetration" (fucking) machines, response testing equipment, plugs general medical supplies: exam tables and chairs, scrubs, lighting, gloves, masks, machinery regression elements: being examined/inspected, surrendering control, being good for daddy and/or the doctor, sex as a regressive technique specific to andy's character: aftercare elements, trouble/help with regressing, providing comfort through exams/procedures specific to pete's character: bondage and medfet inventions, testing new equipment and treatments on patients

#march '24 blurb night #private practice #chris evans #chris evans smut #ari levinson #ari levinson smut #lloyd hansen #lloyd hansen smut #andy barber #andy barber smut #pete brenner #pete brenner smut #steve rogers #steve rogers smut #jake jensen #jake jensen smut #ransom drysdale #ransom drysdale smut

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patrollingboston · 1 month

Note

*turns on the megaphone*

Simon and his wifey have disaster twins!

Thank you for coming to my TED talk

Double Trouble // Simon x Reader fluff

Thank you for your request! I wanted to include their reactions to finding out as well as a glimpse into daily life for them. Hope you enjoy!

Simon and you had been married for 4 years. It wasn’t a normal marriage by any means, he was often deployed leaving you to amble through life without him by your side for most months of the year. You didn’t mind your own company, you met up with friends and family regularly, caring for yours and Simon’s cat counting down the days until he was home again. It was a quiet and lonely life at times but you understood how much his career meant to him, this was all until one specific night you and Simon shared together landing you in a hospital room at your 12-week pregnancy scan.

“You, okay?”

Simon asked, his deep voice echoing through the eerily clinicals walls as he placed a gentle hand on your shoulder reassuringly. You laid on the bed, the paper scrunching up underneath your back as you waited anxiously for the Doctor to return.

“I’m alright, just a bit jittery.”

You replied giving an uncertain smile towards him, he had managed to get a few days off of work so he could accompany you to the scan. Today was the day you found out the gender of your baby, you and Simon agreed it was best to know now so you could both prepare.

“Right! We all ready in here?”

The doctor came charging back in the room pushing the thick wooden door closed behind her, she sat herself on a stool and wheeled over to you laying on the bed.

“Think so.”

You said with a smile, looking up and making eye contact with Simon. The doctor rolled up your t shirt exposing your stomach to the cold hospital air.

“Are we wanting to know if it’s a boy or girl today?”

She said, squeezing the gel onto your stomach the temperature startling you.

“Uh yes we would like to know.”

Simon spoke up his eyes fixed on the little tv screen the Doctor had wheeled over towards the two of you.

“Can you hear the heartbeat?”

The two of you nodded in sync as you heard the familiar rumble erupt from the machine before a second sounding noise adjoined it.

“What’s the other noise?”

You asked curiously, peeking your head up to get a closer look at the monitor.

“That is uh.. a second heartbeat. You are having healthy twins how wonderful! Can you see baby number 2 hidden in the back there?”

“Wait what?”

Simon said, his demeanour going from relaxed to suddenly tensing up, his grip on your shoulder becoming tighter.

“Twins, see?”

“You’re serious?”

You said now sitting up fully to inspect the monitor, half of you believed this Doctor was speaking nonsense until your eyes saw a second shadow on the tv. Feeling overwhelmed your eyes began to well up, you reached your hand up to grab Simon’s arm for support.

“Fully, would you like to know the genders?”

You both nodded once again.

“In my opinion it looks like two baby girls.”

You slapped a hand to your chest making an ‘awh’ sound, you had always wanted a daughter, now you were going to have two at once. Simon, who was not saying a word, continued to stare at the monitor in amazement.

“We are having twin girls?”

He finally spoke up, clearing his throat and turning to face you. In that moment you both felt such gratitude and shock for the news of two healthy baby girls that you both forgot about the logistics of the entire situation for a few moments.

One year later

“Si, can you bring me a tea towel she’s chucked tomato sauce in my eye.”

You yelled through the kitchen as you dabbed your face, sauce dripping down onto your t shirt as your baby Emily giggled sat in her highchair in the background.

“I can’t love, Chloe’s got a hold of my phone and won’t give it up.”

Simon yelled back from the living room sounding out of breath followed by a few crashing sounds as you assumed he was chasing Chloe round for his phone back. The twins had just learned to walk, and throw apparently causing a nightmare for the both of you.

Simon had returned from deployment a few weeks ago, he was descended straight into the chaos of raising your two twins. You stumbled blindly round the kitchen trying to find something to wipe your face on as you heard the pitter patter of feet coming towards you.

“Mama look.”

Chloe gurgled handing you what you assumed was Simon’s phone.

“What have we said about taking people’s things hey?”

You said in a sterner tone, Simon following into the kitchen behind. You handed him his phone back and he slid it back into his pocket before grabbing a square of kitchen roll and wiping your face for you.

“And you, what have we said about throwing stuff?”

He asked in a soft tone towards your daughter Emily, who was still finding the situation hilarious. He stepped over Chloe who was now playing sat on the kitchen tiles with the cat before reaching his arms out and scooping Emily up in them.

“I’m so glad to have you back Si.”

You said, exhaustion creeping throughout your brain as you rubbed your temples.

“I’ve missed my girls too.”

He said a wide smile spreading across his cheeks as he looked at his daughter placed upon his hip and then towards Chloe sat on the floor. It was a chaotic life for you two currently, but it was yours and no one else’s and you wouldn’t change it for the world.

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whoreish-behaviour · 1 year

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Revenant 3

Previous - Next

Na'vi!Colonel Quaritch x Na'vi!Reader

Warnings >~< = None yet (I do plan I making this story quite dark tho, so please keep that in mind for future chapters)

The colonel watched you quietly, arms crossed over his chest as he inspected the damage done.

You were laying on your side, completely knocked out, breaths even under the breathing mask.

He knew he'd never get you to lay still enough for the X-ray and that you'd panic over the the machine looming above so slipping you into your unconscious state was the only way to go.

He also knew it would be easier to observe your body if you were asleep, not wanting your glaring eyes and hissing face tracking his every move.

You were a lot different to him.

You skin was a lighter, more aquatic colour and your tail thicker in comparison to his. You had white stripes all over, his eyes tracing them carefully.

The difference intrigued him.

He knows it also meant that you had different strengths, combat not being one, and he wanted to learn more. What exactly made you tick?

He knew he'd never get answers to the questions swirling in his head, so for now he opted to learning your body, your adaptations. The scientist around him pointing to different areas and explaining.

They're a lot lighter so they're better able to camouflage in the water.

They're arms provide balance and strength in the water, similar to fins.

They're tails also give them a lot of speed, they're able to move a lot quicker in the water.

The more he learned, the more he wanted to see you in the water, showing him your tricks and abilities.

It poked something primal in him and he gritted his teeth at himself.

You were set on killing him multiple times, granted in your defence, he had no time to associate with his thoughts about you.

You were nothin'.

'We'll need to strap her to the table, snapping it back will definitely wake her up.' The colonel nodded, multiple doctors moving to grab each limb.

After you were secured, face down, the colonel moved to stand near your head, ready to bark at you if you grew to hi-rate.

The same doctor from earlier gently took your tail in both hands before running his thumbs over the base.

Before the colonel could even blink, a disgustingly loud snap echoed throughout the ward and he grimaced, tail twitching behind him as if it had happened to him.

You woke almost instantly, a gasp leaving to lips and ears up and alert.

You immediately whimpered and cried out, beginning to swing your tail around as if that would remove the extruciateng pain, hands pulling at your restraints.

The doctor took a step back, not wanting to be hit by the moving limb.

The colonel placed his hands on either side of your head and lowered closer to where you were laying, tilting his head so you could see him.

'Easy, easy.' He repeated his words from earlier, eyes dancing over your features as utter distressed flickered over them.

You then looked up at him, eyes vibrant and rimmed with fresh tears.

He was taken back at the pure emotion, there was no anger - just a sullen look of desperation.

'Please stop! Take me home, I beg you - Have mercy!' Your english was muddled with Na'vi but he knew what you wanted, what you were begging for.

Knowing he couldn't communicate back to you, to tell you that unless you wanted a broken tail this was the only way, reassure that you were indeed okay, he cursed and looked down.

'You're fine.' He grunted, before standing back up and walking down to the other end of the table.

Knowing you were causing yourself more pain, he didn't hesitate to grab the base of your tail in a firm unmoving grip.

You thrashed more and instead of releasing you, he lifted his other hand and grabbed the end, using that to keep it as still as possible.

'Calm down! You making it worse.' He argued, ears flattening at your disobedience but he didn't give in.

And finally, after a few tense minutes, you stopped. Your body and tail going limp in his hands and he loosened his grip slightly.

You were still whimpering quietly to yourself, Na'vi words leaving your lips but falling on deaf ears.

'You got some real listening issues kid.' The colonel shook his head at you, a smirk threatening on his lips at the fact that you always did eventually cave under him.

With you secure, he then beckoned the doctor over, ordering him quietly to go get Spider, almost laughing as the name left his lips.

'They fixed it, that's why it hurts.' Colonel watched Spider make a dramatic snapping motion with his hands before watching your face closely.

Safe to say, you were not happy.

It made him wonder what exactly Spider was saying to you, jaw tightening at what he didn't know.

'Tell him to take me home!' Your faced screwed up, eyes thunderous.

You were now sitting up, feet strapped to the bed below but your arms free and crossed over your chest.

To the colonel, you looked like a brat.

Spider then turned his back to her, face disapproving.

'She wants to go home! Why did you take her in the first place?' Spider questioned angrily and the colonel flatten his ears at him, eyes narrowed.

'I asked you to tell her to stop moving her damn tail.' Spider rolled his eyes before looking away.

'Now let her know she's going home after we've found Jake sully. I expect her to get the clans to cough up his location. She has no loyalties to him, unlike you.' He pointed at him and the boy scowled in response.

The colonel didn't trust 'his son'. The language barrier meant that Spider would be able to hide if he was indeed told the where abouts of Jake.

You however, wouldn't. You had no reason too.

The only thing you cared about was returning to your family, and he would do just that after you help him out.

The colonel turned away after that, leaving two of his crew members in the room as he walked out.

He tracked his way to his lieutenant, taking a few deep breaths through his mask before entailing her about his plan change.

She agreed of course, her dislike for spider apparent.

'And the boy?'

'Leverage.' Colonel spoke casually, the lieutenant nodding stiffly in agreement.

Now with the green light, he was free to do whatever he wanted regarding you.

He couldn't keep the grin off his face.

You observed the boy in front of you, a deep line between his eyebrows as he watched the blue soldier leave.

You wondered why he was here? He didn't seem to have any respect for anyone around here, always fighting and talking back.

'He says you’ll be released after you help him find Jake.' The boy turned to you, a sullen look on his face.

You bared your teeth at him, anger bubbling at the audacity these people had. You didn’t even know of a 'Jake Sully', how were you suppose to help?

'I do not know if this Jake! Let me go!" You shouted, tired of hearing the same thing over and over.

'I know but he wants you to tell the other clans to give him up - But you can’t! Please!' The boy pleased, stepping closer.

You stared him down, his wide eyes staring back with panic pooling in them.

'Then help me escape.'

Part 4

Kofi <33

Taglist = @simplefools @gremlinfuck @jupekali @cypherpt5fttaehyung @pturnersblog @namor-is-the-way @kimqueenofhell

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cyberneticfallout · 4 days

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Chapter One: Filly

Ch 1 - Ch 2 - More Coming Soon

Pairing: Cooper Howard/The Ghoul x Fem!Reader Summary: You, a seasoned bounty hunter, team up with a gruff ghoul to capture a high-value target. Tags: Slow burn (and I mean SLOWWW), angst, eventual smut, language, canon-typical violence, more tags will be added Posted on AO3: Smoothie and The Ghoul Word Count: 1.2k

Bounty hunting is no walk in the park, but the rewards make it worthwhile. Your body aches as you trudge through the settlement known as Filly. Pushy vendors eagerly try to sell you their wares, with one particularly persistent one urging you to spend your hard-earned caps on dog meat. Politely declining their offers, you navigate your way through the bustling street towards the more reputable shops and services.

Having visited Filly a few times before, you recognize familiar faces among the locals. You exchange a silent greeting with the local repair girl and spot Ma June preparing to open her shop for the day, making a mental note to stop by later. As you approach a semi-functional Nuka Cola machine, you catch sight of a man seated in a chair. He's dressed like an outlaw from the Wild West, giving off an air of danger. His gaze locks with yours as you pass by.

A ghoul.

You've had mostly positive experiences with ghouls in the wasteland, but this one seems different. There's something about him that sets off alarm bells in your head. Feeling bold, you approach him after grabbing an unbearably warm Nuka Cola.

"Hey," you stand in front of him and take a sip. "I don't personally have a problem with ghouls, but the folk around here aren't too fond of them."

Smirking, he looks up at you, his sunken eyes and lack of nose more pronounced in the sunlight. Most people find ghouls unsettling, but you've grown accustomed to their appearance after years of interacting with them.

"That may be true," he drawls. "but I ain't here to make friends."

You offer him a sip of your drink, he stares at you in confusion. Taking it as a rejection, you finish the rest and toss the bottle aside.

"You look like you're either playing cowboy or you're a bounty hunter," you remark.

"What's your guess?" he snarls.

Leaning towards him, you place your hands on the arms of his chair. "I'm guessing you're here looking for a specific doctor."

"You're pretty bold for getting so close to a ghoul, smoothskin."

"And you're pretty bold for assuming I've never been closer." A small smile creeps onto your face as he looks at you curiously.

"I'm sure our paths will cross again. Until then..." Stepping back, you give him a casual salute and walk away.

The presence of the ghoul gives you the feeling that shit is about to go down so you decide to hang around on the outskirts of Filly. Leaning against a tree just outside the bustling street of vendors, you can hear the sound of raised voices and the unmistakable echoes of gunfire coming from the center of town.

"Called it," you mutter under your breath. There's no need to dive headfirst into the chaos when you can simply wait it out and observe the aftermath. Given the hefty reward on the line for this particular doctor, it's unlikely that he'll be an easy target. If he's anything like the other high-value bounties you've pursued in the past, he'll find a way to slip away, and you'll have to track him down.

Inhaling deeply, you take a moment to assess your surroundings, ensuring that your rifle and pistol are in proper working order. As you inspect your weapons, the air is suddenly filled with distorted screams, "No, no, no!" Looking up, you witness a spectacle that catches you off guard. A suit of Power Armor is soaring uncontrollably through the sky above you. Could it be the Brotherhood of Steel? This bounty just keeps getting crazier.

The Power Armor veers off in the opposite direction, leaving you to wonder what in the wasteland is going on. With the chaotic gunfight seemingly subsiding, you make your way back towards the town center. It appears that the flying garbage can and ghoul have caused quite the commotion, scattering the combatants and bringing an end to the firefight.

As you draw closer to the scene, the absurdity of the situation becomes even more apparent. Bodies, torn apart and scattered haphazardly, litter the ground. The locals, seizing the opportunity, have already begun looting them. You catch sight of the ghoul making his way towards a path that leads out of town. Without a moment's hesitation, you decide to follow him.

Quickening your pace, you navigate through the debris and bodies, doing your best to avoid the looters who pay you no mind. The ghoul moves quickly with a dog by his side, his sunken eyes focused on his route to the wastes.

As you approach the outskirts of town, the ghoul glances back, acknowledging your pursuit. Letting out an annoyed sigh, he comes to a halt and turns to face you.

"I ain't accepting companions," he declares, a note of irritation in his voice.

"That's too bad," you reply with a smirk, coming to a stop in front of him. Your attention is drawn to the dog standing beside him, looking up at you with a wagging tail. A warm feeling washes over you - you've always had a soft spot for dogs.

Kneeling down, you scratch behind the dog's ears and ask, "What's her name?"

"I don't fuckin' know," the ghoul snaps back.

You raise an eyebrow, a mixture of amusement and confusion on your face. "Did you hit your head back there? How do you not know your dog's name?"

The ghoul rolls his eyes slightly, clearly exasperated. "She ain't my dog. She was with the doctor. Along with some vault dweller."

A surge of curiosity courses through you at the mention of the doctor and the vault dweller. This situation just keeps getting more intriguing. You stand up, still keeping an eye on the ghoul.

“A vault dweller?”

He begins to draw his gun and points it at you, “Give me a reason not to shoot your ass. You’re startin’ to annoy me.”

“Calm down, beef jerky.” Taking a step back, you maintain a calm demeanor. “I think we can help each other out.”

The ghoul's grip on his gun tightens, but he hesitates, seemingly intrigued by your proposition. "I don't need help.”

“Oh but yes, you do.” You pull out a small vial filled with amber liquid, capturing his attention. “This dog will do a great job tracking its owner but I’ll do an even better job of making sure you don’t go feral. No offense but you seem pretty old - even for a ghoul.”

The ghoul's grip on his gun loosens, and he seems to consider your words. After a moment, he reluctantly lowers his weapon. "Fine," he grumbles. "But don't think I owe you anything."

You nod with a small smile, "Fair enough."

#okay I mean it when I say this is a SLOW BURN #As much as I want them to just get down and dirty right away... I'm pacing myself lmao #I hope it's okay since I haven't written much since 2019 #cooper howard x reader #the ghoul x reader #cooper howard #the ghoul #fallout #smoothie and the ghoul

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carolmunson · 1 year

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wish i had a river (part two)

here it is, the part two i said i wouldn't write. if you missed it, here is the first part - wish i had a river this is very much an eddie munson fanfiction, it's mostly from his perspective and follows his story through his eyes and actions. 'you' are mentioned and seen in this fic, but for the most part, it's all eddie all the time. cw: minors dni, adult themes, some smut references. angst. hurt/comfort. lots of mentions of poverty/hunger, sleep deprivation, all around eddie having a bad time. cigarettes/mild drinking but nothing inherently like -- bad? idk. unpopular ship mentioned. i did NOT proof read this.

The alley behind Macy's was a safe haven. Cold, a blue black, poorly paved, with nothing but the dumpters of other stores and the rats to keep him company. Eddie nursed a cigarette on his third smoke break of the night, two bad customers away from a total nervous breakdown. His anxiety built higher every day, every rush, every icy road report -- more people yelling, more people stressed out, more car accidents he'd have to clean up. Wayne's been in an out of the doctor's office more often and it's looking like he might have to retire early. The cigarette loses it's flame and he curses under his breath when he goes to light it again, the nicotine soothing his lips and tongue with a slow steady burn.

You never got to decorate cookies together on his impromptu 'sick day', you hadn't returned any of his calls. Not that he thought he was off the hook or anything, but he did basically write you a fifty two page love letter. If he had the time he'd come by your apartment to apologize in person but at this point exhaustion had started to over stay it's welcome. He could barely make it to the pharmacy on his nights off to get Wayne's medication. The guys at the auto shop could tell something was starting to go very left, 'cause why was the youngest guy there the one who couldn't keep up anymore?

And Eddie really couldn't keep up anymore.

At least his commission in the shoe section was doubling daily.

The cold bites his cheeks while he finishes his cigarette, tossing the butt on the dirty, uneven pavement and crushing out the flame with his work shoes. He rubs his eyes, heavy and swollen with lack of sleep, with scrubbed fingernail hands and sighs. Just another hour and he can go home, just another hour and it's not a closing shift, he can go home at seven like normal people with regular jobs.

He drops his coat off in the cubby area upstairs, stopping in the bathroom to splash some cold water on his face. He inspects himelf, eyes half closing in disappointement while he does -- he looks like a shell of himself. He hadn't picked up his guitar in months, didn't turn the radio on anymore -- opting for silence since it was so rare for him to hear between Macy's, the shop, and Wayne's breathing machine at night.

He takes his hair down, shaking out the curls that had at least dried into waving perfection last night, and gives it a shake before putting it back up in a neat ponytail. His bangs sit on his forehead, a few strands framing his now gaunt face. He practices an awake smile in the mirror before he completely deflates -- one bad interaction, one rude look, one snap from a boss, and he'd lose it. The rawness sat in a lump in his throat, a grenade of tears ready to blow if the pin is even so much as nudged.

The door to the back rooms squeaks open on its hinges, revealing the never ending click of boots, heels, sneakers, and men's shoes on the sining tile of Macy's walkway floors. In the beginning, the scent of the perfume section across the way and the bright lights of jewelry used to be an assault on his senses -- but as Wayne says 'You can get used to anything.'

"You good, Ed?" he hears, and turns his head -- it's Angie. Angie is his favorite coworker because she makes the best and meanest jokes about people. If it wasn't for some nights closing with Angie he would've left this job a long time ago. He'd been keeled over in laughs with a duster in his hand so many times that it almost seemed wrong to abandon her there.

"Yeah," he furrows his brow at her, "Should I not be?"

"Some pretty boy's been looking for you," she says, nodding over to the boots section, "You got another business I don't know about?"

A grin stretches across her frosted red lipstick'd lips, crinkling her overlined and spider lashed eyes. She's what Eddie and the guys at Forest Hills would have called 'trailer park pretty' if she was thirty years younger.

"They would be so lucky, wouldn't they?" Ed smirks back, eyes following her nod and landing on a head of beautifully coiffed chestnut hair, "Harrington?"

Steve's eyes perk up like a golden retreiver, a winning smile spreading across his face with a flash of white teeth in it's wake, "Hey, Ed!"

Angie gasps when she realizes who it is, "Oh shit! Is this the guy that --"

"Shh, shut up Ange," Ed huffs, waving her off while Steve comes up to approach him.

"Hey dude, I was hoping you were here. I uh, got a pretty big collection to get tonight so I figured -- you know, I'd come say hi and ask for your help." It's frustrating how pleasant Steve is. How warm his demeanor radiates to others, his candor, the way that he stands. It's annoying that a denim button under a cozy green sweater looks good on him. It makes Eddie sick that he can pull off wire-rim glasses and still look his age, that he smells like spice but not in a cheap way. A twinge of fear shook in his chest when a seed of assumption planted itself in his head -- was this why you weren't answering his calls? Was Steve Harrington smothering you with Christmas spirit every night?

"Yeah, man, sure," Eddie responds like the world isn't sitting directly on his shoulders, which -- he observed -- were not nearly as broad as Steve's, "How can I help you?"

"I need like, four pairs of Moon Boots," he shrugs, "Guess they're in style again? My sister's and nieces want matching pairs so like -- two in a size 8 and then, if you have it, two in a size 4 kids?"

"What color? We have white, purple, black, some metallics," Eddie lists on his fingers, "Well, maybe not black -- those probably sold out already."

"You got silver? Pink, maybe?" Steve shrugs, "I'm just trying to get these wrapped by tomorrow."

Christmas Eve. Ed had almost forgotten.

"Let me see what we have and I'll bring it out," he offers. He wants to ask about you but it seems too obvious. You must have talked about the fight or about him in general, how else would Steve know he worked here? How else would he know to come looking for him.

Moments later, Ed comes out with four boxes, "I have two in silver and two in pink -- so it looks like your nieces will be matching and your sisters will be matching. Does that work?"

"Oh shit, that's perfect," Steve smiles the same winning smile. Eddie wonders for a moment what it feels like to smile genuinely, it's felt like years since he had. He guesses that when you're Steve Harrington, you must get to smile pretty often. Rich, girls love him, former captain of the basketball team, has a masters degree, painstakingly handsome -- no wonder you called him after your fight. Damn, he would too.

"Is that all?" Ed asks, reaching up to run a hand over the five o'clock shadow speckling his chin.

"No, actually, sorry. I need some like, work boots, if you sell those here -- is that okay?" Steve asks.

"Work boots like, how? Like construction?" he asks, "You're a teacher, Harrington."

"Yeah but my uh, my roommate -- he's not in construction but he's on a whole bunch of terrain for work -- desperately needs good shoes for that," he explains.

"What's he do?" Ed asks, guiding him over to the display of Timberlands and Doc Martens.

"He's a photojournalist -- he's all over the place," Steve answers, "He's worn his sneakers down to the sole and like, swears their okay --"

"Jonothan Byer's is your roommate?" Eddie asks, making the connection. He'd only known him from their photography class they shared in Eddie's second senior year, but he knew enough to know he went into journalism shortly after college.

"Yeah," Steve nods, running a hand through his hair.

"Hm," Eddie looks over the shoes and looks up at him, "If I can be honest -- he's gotta be quick on his feet, right? These are gonna be too heavy for him to be walking around in. You might just want to get him some higher quality running sneakers. There's a Foot Locker downstairs if you wanna check that out? A lot of our sneakers are sold out until next week."

"Hmm, shit," Steve clicks his tongue, "Well um -- could I maybe try a pair?"

"Of Docs?" Eddie asks with a laugh.

"Yeah, of Docs -- I can be hip and cool, too, Munson," Steve's faux defense is charming. Eddie wonders what else you find charming about him.

Part of it feels degrading, kneeling down in front of Steve, lacing and relacing each new and different pair of boots he tries on -- but at this point he's buying seven pairs of shoes and the commission alone will cover at least a month of groceries so he's not complaining.

"So you don't hate me, huh?" Eddie asks, slipping a lighter weight Timberland over one of Steve's argyle socks.

"Why would I hate you?" Steve cocks his head, amber eyes catching in the light.

"Oh, did she not talk about it?" Eddie flushes. Why would you talk about him? Your loser mechanic (maybe ex) boyfriend who works at the mall, and at the auto shop, and sometimes sells drugs.

"Your fight from last week?" Steve raises his brows, "Yeah, she talked to me about it. But I woudn't hate you for that."

Ed tightens the laces up his foot to his ankle with care, "Why not?"

"I mean, you're doing a lot right now," Steve shrugs, "I think it can be hard when you're teaching little ones, especially this time of year, to not get caught up in the magic -- you sort of popped her bubble. But y'know, it was sort of a reminder to her that not everyone has it so good."

"She didn't deserve me yelling at her like that, though," Eddie shakes his head, he can feel the threat of the grenade pin tugging on his heart strings. One false move. One shake. One nudge, and he'll blow.

"You're doing the best you can," Steve offers kindly. Eddie swallows hard, offering him a tight smile.

"Thanks. I'm trying, I'm--" he shakes out the tingle of a cry before tying up the laces, "I'm trying really hard."

By the time Steve checks out it's about 7:15 and Eddie wants nothing more than to go to bed. His back hurts, he's gotta make sure Wayne took his medication, he's gotta eat sleep for dinner for the third night in a row.

"Thanks so much," Steve beams, "This is great, thanks for your help."

"Yeah, no problem dude," Eddie sighs, running a hand over his face again, "Have a good holiday."

"You done for the night?" Steve asks.

"Yeah, just gotta y'know -- grab my shit and go," he shrugs.

"You wanna grab some dinner with me in the food court or something?" Steve asks, balancing the many shopping bags he'd collected this evening in his hands.

"I don't know, dude. I don't wanna keep you or anything," Eddie says. His stomach clenches at the word dinner, his body reacting like a dog who just heard the sentence 'you wanna go outside?'

"You're not keeping me," Steve assures, "C'mon, it's on me."

Before he knows it, Eddie's been corralled into a mall food court, sitting slumped over on the sticky table. He tunes out the shreiks of children, the tinny Christmas music playing in the background of the cocophany of noise that is the mall on December 23rd. His forehead sticks to the leather jacket over his forearm, only lifting it up when he hears the slap of a plastic tray being put down in front of him. He surveys the Burger King in front of him and huffs a laugh, it'd been a long time since he'd ventured into the food court. He almost forgot what fast food looked like after the past few months of thin ham sandwhiches or cold cans Spaghettio's.

"So why didn't you try to swoop in?" Ed asked, toying with a french fry before biting off the end, "When you went to her house the other night?"

He savors the oil and salt on his tongue, warm and crispy on the fry disolving in his mouth while he waits for a response.

"Swoop in?" Steve asks, shaking his head, "No, I wouldn't. We just -- we work together. She's my work friend."

"So you never thought about what the kids say?" Eddie challenges, still trying to keep it light hearted, "How the first grade teachers should get married?"

"Her classroom is across from mine and we make lesson plans together," he assures, "What the kids say is what the kids say. They're six, what do they know?"

"Whatever you say, Harrington," Eddie shrugs.

"Munson, seriously -- she's my friend. She's not my type," he offers. The way he says it stings Eddie, what's not his type about you? You're perfect. You're the best person he knows.

"The card thing though? That was cute. I'm gonna put that in my arsenal if I ever fuck up," Steve laughs. Eddie chest rattles when he realizes that Steve was still there for that. He never even knew your reaction.

Eddie clears his throat, "Did um -- did she like it?"

Steve nods with a lazy smile, "Yeah, she liked it."

"Did she say anything?" he asks hopefully.

"She cried," Steve answered, Eddie leans his head on his hands, "I know that might not be what you wanted to hear."

"I didn't wanna make her cry more," he explains, "I wanted to make her happy."

"They were happy tears," Steve encourages with a nod, "She knows you love her. She loves you, too."

"Then why isn't she answering my calls?" he asks, another fry passing his lips.

"I think she's hurt, a little embarrassed. You know how girls are, they never come right out and say it," he shrugs, taking a bite of his cheeseburger. Ketchup drips out onto the paper mat on the plastic tray with a wet plop, Eddie sighs.

"Did you end up getting anything for her for Christmas?"

"No I -- I can't afford it this year," Eddie rubs his eyes again, more swollen and aching than before. Heat beams through his cheeks in embarrassment, tinging pink and then red.

"Well I had an idea," he offers, "If you're up for it."

"Yeah, go for it Harrington. Shoot," he says, the enthusiasm was greatly lacking.

"Well her uh, her class room needs a lot of repairs and the custodial team isn't really equipped for that. The school'll either bare bones it for her or make her pay for it out of pocket if she asks," he starts, "And she told me you're really handy, y'know, working at the garage and all. So maybe you could take care of her class room this week while we're out for break. I can let you in and everything."

He mulls it over in his head, "That's a really good idea, actually. I could um, I could ask the guys at the shop if I could borrow some tools."

"And there's a bunch of wood palettes in the backrooms at Medvald's. Jon said he's happy to get them out of there for you," Steve says with a smile.

"Oh, so you already talked about this?" Eddie smirks.

"Well, yeah, kind of," he blushes, "I was asking around just to see if it was a plausible kind of thing."

"Definitely a plausible thing," he nods, taking a bite of his own cheese burger. He holds back the moan in his chest from eating something warm and mildly filling after such a long time, "Do you think she'd like it?"

"Oh, Munson," Steve shoots him the 'okay' sign, "She'd lose her mind. All she does is complain about how nothing ever works and everything's falling apart. Doesn't even have new chalk."

"Chalk I can definitely handle," he laughs, "I think I can afford chalk."

He feels a moment of calm wash over him when the van rumbles to life in the parking garage. Finally heading home and going to sleep with a full belly, finally with a plan to make you happy, finally feeling like after the new year things can go back to normal. He flicks on the radio and doesn't even change the station when Mariah Carey's 'All I Want For Christmas' crackles through the speakers. He heard it 700 times today, happy to hear it for the 701st.

It was your new favorite song, after all.

Eddie woke up feeling slightly refreshed on Christmas Eve, the dull ache in his back mildly relieved. He fished into his pajama pants for his lighter, flicking it a few times before getting the fuse lit for his morning cigarette. He stood at the open door, bathrobe tied tight around him, and listened to the hum of Wayne's machine from the other end of trailer. The mug of black coffee in his hands had the bitterness cut by the soft sweetness of cinnamon -- that's what you always did this time of year.

'I like making it a little festive for you, honey,' you'd giggle, 'Don't be such a Grinch.'

He wished he appreciated it more, all the little things you did to try to make him happy. The faces in fruit on his pancakes some mornings, making his old favorites for dinner at your place, 'build your own sundae' nights. Scratching his head, scalp massages, hand massages. You'd call them man-icures so he didn't feel weird about you doing his nails and softening his callouses. He didn't care that it was just a manicure with a stupid name, all he cared about was your cute face when you concentrated on his cuticles. He missed your laugh, the way you tap your pen out to your favorite songs when you're grading papers or writing lesson plans, your elaborate schemes to make learning subtraction more fun. The way you're kind to everyone, all the time, constantly. When he first started taking you out he'd get embarrassed by how forward you were with people, how you'd make small talk with cashiers, or grab someone's hand to tell them their nails looked beautiful.

Maybe in a lot of ways, he wished he was more like you to start.

He took a shower and slipped on his coveralls, opting to be one of two guys in the shop today. Him and George. It was George's garage, and for the past six years, Eddie had always volunteered to be the emergency mechanic on deck on Christmas Eve. He got paid time and a half and never had to wait for the check, he'd always get paid at the end of the day.

He laces his boots before trudging down the hall to wake Wayne, taking off his machine and flipping the switch.

"I'm headed out," he whispers, "You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," Wayne groans when he sits up on the rickety mattress, "I have a new perscription, not sure if the pharmacy'll be open but would you be able to pick it up on the way back. They called last night but I couldn't make it to the phone, it's ready I think."

"Yeah, I'll grab it on my lunch break Wayne," he softens the more he looks at him, "Have some coffee already to go for you on the table, there's a couple eggs left for you too."

"Thank ya, son," his voice is grizzly, but it still feels like home.

Eddie shivers his way into the shop, George in the office organizing some files. The day was always slow, but there were some cars still in need of fixing so he got right to work.

"Hey George," he calls, knocking on the door.

"Hey kid," he calls back, "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas, round six," he laughs back. He goes back to the break room and drops off his coat and his back pack. Normally he'd have you to look forward to later with a plate of cookies from your family's Christmas Eve party and some left overs expertly packed. You'd drive an hour and a half to bring it down to him and then an hour and a half back to spend Christmas with your family. But not before he gave you a present, or multiple presents, in the break room when George went out to get a six pack.

"Ed," he calls again, "C'mere when you're done dropping your shit."

Eddie heads over to the office, leaning on the door frame, "'Sup bossman?"

"Someone left a message for ya on the answering machine, think it's the pharmacy," he said, "Ya might wanna give 'em a call, s'probably for your uncle."

"Oh, yeah, I think his prescription's ready," he nodded, "Can I use your phone?"

"Yeah, by all means," he said, pushing it toward him, "Want me to give you a minute?"

Ed shakes his head no, "It's fine, just a quick call." He's got the number memorized by heart at this point, clicking the numbers on the grease stained white plastic buttons while barely looking at the machine.

"Hawkins Pharmacy, this is Debbie," Eddie smiles because he knows Debbie. He likes Debbie a lot.

"Hi Deb, it's Eddie, Eddie Munson," he says, "Calling for my uncle, looks like you called my work. I was gonna come by and pick up his meds on my break, will you guys be open?"

"Oh um, about his prescription Ed..." she starts, and he can hear the hesitation in her voice. The clip in the grenade buried in his chest jiggles slightly, he takes in a breath through his nose.

"What's up?" he asks, his voice his short and curt.

"Well, he changed his insurance recently, as you know and -- well there's a lapse in his coverage right now. His new plan doesn't activate until the first," she expains.

"Okay, and what does that mean?" he says, his palms sweat onto the cool plastic of the phone, his ear sticks to the receiver.

"Basically," she says, and then sighs, "His current insurance can't cover it and neither can is upcoming insurance, so the prescription has to be paid out of pocket."

"Um -- uh, fuck -- okay," he says, a chill courses through him, tightening his veins. The pin jiggles again, "H-how much?"

"For the month?" she asks, "For this prescription it's, hold on, let me check...it's looking like it'll come out to around..." she takes a breath of defeat.

"Around three hundred dollars, Ed," she says softly.

"Three hundred..." he repeats back quietly, "Is there like, is there a cheaper version cause he like..."

His voice cracks, the pin rattles dangerously while his eyes start to sting with oncoming tears, "He really needs these pills, Debbie."

"This is the cheapest option," she says apologetically, "I'm so sorry."

"I'll um, I'll figure it out," he shakes his head, "I'll come by and I'll figure it out. Thanks uh, thanks for letting me know Deb."

He doesn't wait to hear her response before he hangs up the phone, quickly leaving the office to go back to the break room. He sniffles in big shuddering breaths, sweat dripping down his back despite the lack of heat in the garage.

"Kid," George says softly, following behind him, "Hey, Munson. What's goin' on?"

He feels George's big hand on his shoulder, the soft squeeze on the muscle under his skin.

"I can't afford my uncle's medication," he says, the pin jiggles, "I mean I can, but like, if I get his medication I'll be late in paying the gas bill, but if they turn the gas off there goes our heat. Or I can delay the electric bill but if they turn the lights out he can't use his machine at night. So maybe I could like, go out tonight after this and shovel some driveways in the rich neighborhoods or -- I could -- I could --"

The pin falls.

He breaks.

He breaks hard.

Eddie's cries turn to wails, his body shaking with hunger and exhaustion and the unbearable heaviness of having to be himself. The tears pour in droves down his face while he tries to catch up with them, trying to find the words to explain to George that he's okay, he'll figure it out.

"Hey, buddy, it's okay, it's okay," George soothes, his aged face crumpling while he watches Eddie break down in front of him. He pulls him in tight, a hand plopping ontop on his mess of curls.

"Why don't you tell me what's been goin' on? You haven't been yourself for months," he says softly, "Talk to me."

George smells like Old Spice and Newports, it's a scent that's always made him feel safe. Like having a second dad -- well, a third dad, if you count his real dad. He never counts his real dad, though.

Eddie sits down at the table while George takes a couple of beers out of the fridge and places them down in front of them. He cracks them open and settles down, two sets of brown eyes meeting each other.

He begins.

"Well if Wayne was sick why didn't you tell me?" George exclaims, "I've known Wayne longer than you've lived in Hawkins, boy. I would've helped you figure somethin' out. Taking shifts at Macy's? At Christmas time? No wonder you're so exhausted."

"I mean, I'm young. I can do it," Eddie shrugs.

"Those bags under your eyes say you can't," he says matter of factly, "And y'know you shouldn't have to. You're -- damn you're a kid."

"I'm like, inching towards thirty George," he laughs.

"And what about your little girlfriend? She not helping?"

"That's..." he sighs, "That's a whole other mess."

Eddie rehashes the story he told Wayne last week and then Steve's visit from yesterday, "So today I was gonna ask if I could borrow some tools and go in tomorrow or something to fix everything up. But now I gotta figure out how I'm gonna make an extra three hundred bucks for these meds."

"How about this," George starts, "You've been workin' for me a long time. You come early and you stay late. You cover for everyone. You know -- damn -- you know more about cars than I do and I've been runnin' this place for thirty years. How about you take this week off to work on your girl's classroom and I'll see you after the New Year."

"I can't. I need to work, George, I need the mo--"

"How about," he interjects, loud and stern, "You take the week off to work on your girl's classroom and get some rest, and I will pay you for the week. It's not like you're just sittin' on your ass."

"I can do that, that's not f--"

"If you say no again, I'm just gonna fire you. Is that what you want?" George challenges.

"No sir," Eddie quickly shakes his head and shuts his mouth.

"And," the older man continues, "I will cover the cost of Wayne's pills. I'll go pick them up at lunch for 'im and drop 'em off. 'Bout time I caught up with that geezer anyway."

The tears build back up in Eddie's eyes, his mouth lets out a sputtered version of a 'Thank you'.

"You gotta stop pretending like you have to do everything yourself," George's voice holds a fatherly fondness when he gets up and tosses their empty beers in the trash.

"C'mere, kid," he chuckles while Eddie tearily gets up out of the chair and back into the dad like embrace of his boss.

"You got ten minutes, but then we got some cars to fix."

Eddie didn't tell Wayne about the insurance lapse or the pills, even though he was surprised to see George at the trailer park that afternoon. Eddie went home with his tool belt from work, his time and a half, and a little extra that his boss insisted he take with him. Wished him luck on his repairs and that he'd see him on the 2nd.

He was warned that if he didn't rest, Wayne would tell him, and it would mean hell for him at the shop.

Eddie'd already been through hell, so he didn't really want to have to do it again.

Christmas morning came and Eddie woke Wayne up to a cup of coffee and some breakfast.

"Thanks, son," he said smoothly, pushing in his chair at the table in the kitchenette, "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," he wished back, tapping some cinnamon into each of their cups of coffee.

"What's that for?" he asks before a harrowing cough bubbles out of his chest. He takes a sip of coffee to ease the ache of the rattle in his throat.

"It's just festive, Wayne," he teases, "Don't be a Scrooge."

"Doing anything today?" Wayne asks, eyes casting up to look at the old pictures of a younger Eddie sat on Santa's lap. No longer a holiday where they stayed home and snuggled, where he played with his toys, where there was magic.

"Gonna go fix up my girl's classroom as a gift," he says, picking at his nails, "Thought it'd be a nice gesture."

"She hasn't called ya back, hm?"

Eddie shakes his head, already dressed in the Black Sabbath shirt you got him that he hadn't gotten a chance to properly thank you for. The chain you got repaired hung aroung his neck delicately, the pick hitting his chest in a gentle reminder that you're still here with him. You had to be. He'd know if you just decided to be done with him.

By the time the late afternoon rolled around he hopped in his van after Wayne fell asleep in the recliner. The perk of the holidays was that he could drive around in the rich neighborhoods and no one was out to give him and his car dirty looks. No one was around to be confused that Steve Harrington was hopping into his passengers seat to head to Melvald's. No one was around to be confused as to while they were loading wood from broken down pallets into the ample trunk space.

"Good holiday?" Eddie asks.

"Same holiday it always is," he shrugs, "My parents weren't around so I stayed home. Jonothan went to California with Joyce to go visit Will so he wouldn't have to pay to fly home."

"That's lonely," Eddie mutters, "Sorry dude."

"Don't be sorry, I'm used to it," he looks out the window. Steve looks well dressed for repairs -- a pair of worn in jeans, white on white Air Forces, an Izod half zip sweat shirt -- he might as well look like a father of three, "Have you heard from her at all?"

"No -- I left her a message on her answering machine, but I think she's already up with her family. I don't know what she told them so -- I don't want to bother her parents if they're upset with me," he explains.

"They'd never be upset with you," Steve shakes his head, "They're good people."

"I'm sure they wish on a star every night that she was with you, Harrington," he jokes.

"You'd think, right?" Steve laughs, "No, she told me how much they like you. They think you're so good to her -- you are so good to her."

Steve speaks about you with a fondness that makes Eddie wonder. He softens, looking over at him while he turns down the road to the elementary school, "Do um...do you wish it was you?"

"I already told you, man. I love her to death, but she's not my type," he laughs again, but there's a pain there.

"You keep saying that but like -- are you sure? 'Cause you can tell me it's not weird," he assures.

"She hasn't told you?" Steve asks, brows furrowing.

"Told me what? Did you guys used to fuck, or something?" Eddie asks, his heart hammering, "Did you fuck the other ni--"

"No, no, Ed I'm --" he sighs, running a hand through his hair.

"I'm gay," he says quietly, "Like, Jonathan isn't my roommate he's -- he's my partner. I'm gay."

There's a silence there for a moment and Eddie shifts in his seat a red light. Oh, I'm such a fucking idiot. Of course that's why they aren't together. I thought maybe he had a weird dick or something.

"That's y'know," Ed shrugs, "That's cool with me, man. Like, silence equals death and all that."

"Oh, shut up man," Steve laughs and shakes his head, putting his hand up to stop him from talking, "Don't like, do that all shit. I'm just surprised she hadn't said anything."

"If you told her not to, she wont," Eddie's voice drops to something sweet, "She's a good girl like that. Great secret keeper. Great -- Oh, shit..."

When the boys pull into the lot, Eddie's surprised to see a couple more trucks sitting by with their lights on, doors opening at the sight of them. A gruff voice calls out from the dark, a light snow obscuring him and the name on his coverall.

"How long were you gonna keep us waiting here, kid? It's a holiday."

George's gruff voice cuts the silence, a couple of the guys from the shop chuckle in the background. Eddie smiles, a genuine, warm smile -- the kind he envied from a couple nights ago that he saw from Steve. These were people who cared about him, who wanted to help. This was, he guessed, was what Christmas was really about. This was what you were trying to tell him the whole time. His heart breaks all over again, and he swears he can feel the pulse of your heart beat in the guitar pick hanging at his chest.

By the 27th, most of the repairs had been done. The help from the guys was beyond what he could've imagined. They were able to replace part of the roof that had water damage, fix the windows, repair a cracked pane, build a new bookcase, fix the wobble in all of the desks, and yours. Now, he was just adding a new coat of paint after spending the morning chipping off all the shards of it that were falling off. In his backpack was an overflow of new chalk, pens and pencils, markers, crayons, construction paper, pipe cleaners, and glue. The guys went through their kids bookcases at home and donated a slew of new books for the room -- some duplicates, too.

He felt good. He'd gotten two nights of adequate sleep, heeding George's warning that he has to rest. He was able to buy a good crop of groceries and most of the guys from work came by to drop off so many Christmas cookies that Wayne was nervous he'd start losing his teeth too. Now, all he had to wait for was you. For you to come in on Friday and see his surprise when you dropped in for your professional development day with Steve. He wasn't sure if he wanted to leave flowers or gingerbread men with the card but he figured he'd cross that bridge when he --

"Eddie?"

He jumped, nearly falling off the ladder he was on to reattach over head light that had rusted on the ceiling, "Jesus Christ!"

He clutched his chest, letting his heart rate settle down when at the bottom of the ladder, there you stood. His face blushed pink, pulse ping ponging through his wrists at the sight of you.

"Hi, sweetheart," he smiles, "This um...this was supposed to be a surprise."

"Who told you?" you asked, looking around, "About all my stuff?"

Eddie climbed down the ladder carefully, "Steve came to the store, told me that you needed some help. I figured y'know, if I couldn't get you a present I could just -- I could make you one."

"It's not done yet though, I still have to paint and put all your art supplies away," he explains, meeting you in the center of the room. He looks at you and then at the tears in your eyes, the heat rising in your cheeks. You don't say anything, his heart races in embarrassment. Maybe it wasn't enough, maybe you didn't like it. Maybe you wanted to do it yourself.

"And um, the guys from the shop, they uh, they brought books," he says, walking over to the new bookcase, "And I uh, I built this, like, with my hands."

He painted it to match the rest of the decor, a fun bright color that would hopefully draw the kids in to read. You'd mentioned that the got bored with the same ten books and weren't sharing well -- half of the books were falling apart since there wasn't anywhere to put them.

"And uh, I got you some new chalk -- white obviously, but I got you some multi-colored sets cause I know you like to do little sketches on the board during holidays and like, with spring comin' up maybe you could do little flowers or something?" he doesn't realize it, but he's gasping through his rambled sentences. Watching you walk toward him slowly.

"It's okay if you don't like it," he assures, "You can tell me and I can fix it I just wanted to--"

Your kiss feels like a spoonful of summer warmed honey on his cold lips. It trails down his throat and into his chest, down through his fingertips and his toes. He feels your soft hands cup his face, resting against his cold prickly cheeks. He's afraid to touch your face because you haven't given him a manicure yet this week. He doesn't want to scratch you with his rough hands, so he places them around you instead, frowning when you finally break away with a soft click.

"I just wanted to do something nice," he says against your lips.

"This is the best gift ever," you whisper quietly, a little sniffle stifling your cry, "It's very nice."

"Merry Christmas, baby," he smiles, leaning in for another kiss.

"Merry Christmas," you wish between kisses.

He wakes up wrapped up in you, in your sheets, in your scent, peering at you while you sleep soundly next to him. You both had barely made it through the door of your apartment before you both had shed your clothes -- landing on the bed with a mutual 'oof!'

It had been so long since he'd been present. Savoring every soft moan out of your mouth, every shake of your thighs, everything whine, every clench, the way you'd rake your nails down his back, the way you'd pulse when he held your hand. You both laid there together after round one, eating cookies in bed (which you'd allowed just this once), while he told you everything. About how hard it had been taking two jobs, how he'd completely shut down, about Wayne's insurance lapse, about the guys at work, about Steve coming to Macy's, about how much he loved the gifts you got. About how he cried the night he yelled at you but was too afraid to face you after because he felt so awful. He listened when you told him that you just needed some time, but that you felt awful that you weren't there when he needed you.

"Need you all the time," he mumbled between heated kisses, "Never lettin' you outta my sight."

His eyes rolled and his toes curled when you took him in your mouth, letting you take the lead. He gasped and writhed, whining for more when your tongue swirled and sucked, showing him how much you missed him. How you'll always take care of him -- and he made sure to show you how he'll take care of you back.

Round three was long and drawn out, slow and sensual, close and quiet -- your boom box playing low static by the end.

Your eyes opened, stretching out when you see him sitting up in bed.

"You heading out?" you yawn.

"No, baby," he smiles down at you before laying back down, losing himself under the covers with you again, "I have the week off, so I'm intending to spend every moment I'm not with Wayne, in this bed, with you."

#eddie munson fanfiction #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson fan fiction #eddie munson smut #eddie munson fan fic #eddie munson fluff #eddie munson angst #eddie munson hurt/comfort #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson x y/n #eddie x reader #eddie munson

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ebonyslasher · 5 months

Text

Scary, Spicy, and Sweet? Pt. 2

Synopsis: You work as a new Nurse in Smith's Grove after finding a passion working with mentally ill patients. Impressed with your skills, Dr. Loomis assigns you to the infamous Michael Myers. His terrorizing activities take an odd, sexy turn that surprises you.

This is part 2. This one has 18+ content. Grown folks Only! Read part 1 here.

This is a request from soooo long ago for @hdhhffgjdhdhdbdbd. I do hope that you enjoy.

Discovering that you were not coming in, set Michael OFF.

Over the past 3 weeks, your reactions have amused him greatly. The shaking in your arms and legs made him chuckle. The short screams from his fake attacks made his cold heart race. However, his focus shifted to other aspects about you. You were very beautiful. Your beauty enhances your scared visage, making you more attractive each day. Your wide nostrils would cutely scrunch when you felt uncomfortable. The way your lips contorted made him want to nibble and suck. Wide mouth screams made him want to cover your mouth with his and dip his tongue into you. Those wonderful eyes of yours would blow up into the cutest way, like a small cat on alert.

Michael could not help but notice your smell. It was always so pleasant. He could not place the scent, but it was light and alluring. It made him inspect your body with increased interest. Your breasts looked delectable. Plump. Sometimes he could see your nipples after a good scare, making his dick jump in excitement. He wanted to watch those hips and ass jiggle as he chased you around, excited to catch his cute little nurse.

It was only yesterday that he realized that he found you the most adorable person he’s ever seen. These feelings, these thoughts were unlike him. He could not wait to explore these odd feelings with you. And now you took the day off?

He would make sure you never leave his side again.

—

“...Only doing this cause it’s damn 80 an hour….. fucking…. Michael ass Myers, big funky ass self!....and that weird ass doctor…” You mutter as you stomp through each steel double door, clocking into work, yet AGAIN.

Although you took the offer for extra money, you were still highly upset. You were already running yourself ragged with how often you worked. Surely the hospital was technically breaking some labor laws for allowing this. You should have had a few days off throughout those last few weeks. But that overtime pay was nice. Being aggressive with payments significantly cut down on your student loan debt in the past 7 months.

Still fuming, you make your way towards the nurses station to acquire the stock medication. While typing in the code to access the sedative, an idea pops into your head. Maybe if you administer the medicine as fast as possible, then you could go home sooner. Just stay for a few hours to get enough pay and clock out. Michael would be knocked out anyway and you’d just be sitting around. This was sounding like a good plan. Executing it though could be a problem.

The sedative deposits out of the machine and you read its label. While doing some calculations at your station, a fellow colleague known as Davis Sellers, comes into the area. The man looks distraught. Once he sees you, his shoulders visibly relax.

“Man, it's like I'm looking at an angel right now.” He sighs out.

“An angel? What’s gotten into you?” You asked, amused.

“That nigga Michael…went crazy as hell. I was getting the medicine ready right? Why I turn around and he looking at me cock eyed??? And then that motherfucker jumped at me ooooo noooo. Man, I was fighting for my damn life in there. Had to yell for backup.” During his story telling you had to look away and stifle your laugh. Sometimes, you hated how he told stories. It's not funny, but it's funny.

“Damn, well he better get some sense when I get in there. Cause he’s gonna get knocked the fuck out soon!” You replied, faking some confidence to uplift your work friend.

“Ay, good luck. If he tries something just yell. I got you.” David tells you as he comes over to pat your back in solidarity.

“Oh I will. I’m bout to go get this over with right now.” You gather the materials and begin to head out the station. You double back, squinting your eyes in suspicion. You had a feeling that you were forgetting something...the key! A golden, square shaped key sat beside your computer. You grab it, needing it to access Michaels’ room. Ready to get this ordeal over with, you speed walk towards his room.

Although you were excited, you were very apprehensive. There was unease hovering in the air as you approached his foreboding door. This man, with his sizable muscles and strict determination, was already riled up. David didn’t inform you specifically of how they left him. What exactly you were walking into was unknown, but you were ready to scream at any moment's notice. Standing in front of the door, you hoped that he wouldn’t continue the bull shit.

Shakily, you use the square key to open the door. And the first thing you see is Michael. He looks pitiful all wrapped up in a white straightjacket, mirroring the ‘crazy’ characters in movies. ‘Never thought I would see the straightjacket used in real life,’ you thought, slightly amused. The straightjacket looks like it fought for its life as well, scuff marks of unknown origin littering its ragged form. It looked like there was a second straight jacket weirdly wrapped around his muscular legs. How they did that, you didn’t know. As long as he couldn’t move, you were chill. Michael just sat awkwardly on his bed, leaning against the white wall, observing you like always.

You don’t even mutter a greeting when you turn to the nearest counter to lay your materials onto. You absentmindedly lay the key near the edge of the counter, closest to the door as you begin to open the materials. While doing so, you felt eyes on your form. This makes you turn unconsciously towards the source looking dead set at you. It felt as though he was staring harder than usual. Weirdly enough, it looks like he was…happy? That interpretation was probably very incorrect. But as you approached to observe how you would administer the medicine, there was a gut feeling that you were right.

The initial dilemma of administering the sedative was the location. ‘Which area would be low risk…?’ The drug had to be administered in his veins, so it could act the fastest. Your two choices were between the leg or arm. ‘

You regard his legs, which were twisted up in a complex fashion in the confining jacket. It would be a high risk to try to tackle that mess to get to one leg. There’s a chance that both legs could get free. He could kick the fuck out of you and try to get out of the room. No bueno. So, the arm it is.

You look to the nearest arm, on his right side. It’s still a risk, but a better option, since the straight jacket was easier to navigate. Time was of the essence and you had already spent ample time regarding the situation. Excited at the thought of relaxing at your station, you grab his right arm and disassemble the jacket slightly to get to it. His biceps felt strong and smooth underneath. It was nice and a little distracting. A warm fuzzy feeling gathers in your abdomen. Pressing on, you ignore that odd feeling. Now's not the time to notice attractive things about a very dangerous patient.

Pulling the arm from the jacket, you're surprised that it drops limp onto the mattress. Maybe David gave him a quick sedative while wrestling him? Something to where he couldn’t move fast? Pondering about that doesn’t matter. Getting him fully knocked out was the end goal. You move back to wash and sanitize your hands and some equipment. You manipulate the syringe to slowly take up the medicine. Placing the needle on top, you screw it on and flick the tube to rid of any air bubbles. During the preparation, you could still feel those heavy eyes watching you. Turning back, with the medicine ready, you steel yourself. Sliding towards the Shape, you grab his limp arm.

If you could rewind time, you would have taken the time to question David about all the details of their scuffle. Namely, if he was able to give a quick sedative to Michael before leaving the room. Because suddenly, he grabs your hand, twisting it painfully. You yelp, trying to pull your hand away from his painful grip. As you pull, he lets go, causing you to stumble and drop the medication. Onto the fucking mattress. He grabs it and uses his thumb to bend the needle and crushes the syringe in his palm like it was nothing. The clear liquid sedative leaks from his fist.

You stand awkwardly against the wall. This was terrifying. You want to scream, but your vocal chords stopped working. You mentally yell at your legs to ‘RUN!’ but, your legs are like mush. While your chance to escape was escaping right in front of you, Michael tore off the rest of the jacket. Those jackets are thick and he rips into it easily. Now both his hands were free. The Shape takes those long fingers to tear at the mess around his legs.

It seems like now your dumb legs want to run. You attempt to scramble to the door, but Michael magically grabs you and throws you onto the bed. Fuck. Now, he’s at the door, free to do whatever he likes. And it seems that the first target is you. Your teary eyes stare horrifically at his tall form. His stoic facial expression slowly warps into a small smile.

You say nothing. Just staring at him, in survival mode to see what he would do next. Maybe, you could dart past him when he moves? But he moves first, twisting slightly to grab that key you sat on the counter. He calmly lifts it and places it on top of the highest cabinet in the room. There is no way you could reach that. Michael stalks forward and in turn you scrunch your eyes closed. You did not want to watch your last moments play out.

You feel him firmly clasping your arms. It makes you tense and squeak. But nothing happens. A few seconds go by and he's still holding your arm. Actually, he isn't even hurting you. Confused, you flutter your eyes open to look up at Michael, who was looming over you with an unreadable expression. His hands awkwardly slither down your forearms, down to your wrists. He holds the left one in place, and lifts your right hand. He expertly and quickly adjusts his hands around your wrist for more mobility. He pulls your hand and places it on his crotch. Your eyes widen, and his dick pulsates under your palm.

Okay, what the fuck was going on?! Were you going to die?! Where’d this come from?

The absurdity of the situation finally made you speak, “Michael…” You meant for that to be questioning, instead it sounded…pleading? Forthcoming?

He leans forwards, his handsome face coming towards you. His face is blank as he connects his lips to your forehead. ‘Did..he just kiss me?’ Could you even say it was really a kiss? It’s more of a placement of lips to your forehead. A few seconds pass before he pushes his lips out. You couldn’t even hear the smack. Just feeling soft lips wetting your forehead. Now you're very confused. He is exceedingly soft for an emotionless killer.

Michael lowers himself to the bed, never taking his eyes off your face. It's unnerving the way he stares at you. What will he do next?

You didn’t have to wonder long, as he takes his hands from your wrists and brings it to your breast. He squeezes experimentally and starts playing with them. Good lord, you were getting sexually assaulted by this awkward ass serial killer. His awkwardness made you want to take over and show him what to do.

Wait, whoa, no. You should feel like going home, out of here, to safety. You did not want this to continue, no matter how his pretty blue eyes looked at your face. He really was handsome though. And those hands felt so good squeezing your eager breast.

Fuckkkk noooo. No, you were not going to form a weird complex about this man, this monster. You’ve seen how weird those white fangirls were to these killers online, you were not going to go down like this. During your quick morality freak out, you remember that your palm was still on his dick. You start to pull away, but Michael stops. Then you stop. He takes his hands and makes sure to firmly replace your hand on his crotch. So scary. In an effort to try to ensure your survival, you decided to just play along to his exploration.

You circle your palm, feeling his cock continuously jump. And jump. And jump. You squeeze and feel just how thick he was. Damn. This man was packing. It made you feel hot. ‘Okay stick to the plan,’ you can’t get distracted. You continue as he plays with your breast. He breathes heavily as he comes closer, kissing your forehead again. Making your body and mind feel all confused. This continues for some time, before Michael stops and rips your scrub top open.

Your boobs pop out, slightly spilling over the old bra you should have thrown away long ago. You gasp as you look down at your ruined shirt. Looking back up, you see those beautiful blue eyes widen, mesmerized by your breast. He looks up at your face, watching your reaction. It felt hypnotizing being looked at with such desire. Michael studies your breast again. It was beginning to feel torturous with him just looking and doing nothing. It’s making you antsy. And it got to the point where you took his hands and put it on your breast.

This surprises Michael, who ardently caresses the exposed skin in apparent apprehension. You sigh at his touch, fingers interestingly soft for a killer like him. Before you could begin to question your recent actions, he pulls down your bra. Your nipples harden, now exposed to the world inside Michaels’ eyes. Not hesitant any longer, Michael replaces his hand onto your breast and begins to play. You sigh in pleasure at the lovely kneading he was giving.

But, you want more. The rest of your body began to feel neglected,the desire running through your veins asking for more pleasure. This made you reach for the bottom of his shirt and place your hands under it to rub his abs. Which were heavenly. Every groove of hard muscle excites you more. Your exploration leads you to squeeze his pecs and pinch his nipples.

Michael is a bit startled by your newfound enthusiasm. But, he was not going to stop your actions. It looks as though he enjoys this new sensation of being touched so gently, his eyes becoming half-lidded in response. Michael’s handsome self has such kissable lips. It spurs you to think about showing him what a real kiss is supposed to be like.

You lean towards his face to plant a kiss on those pink lips. Michael stops, eyes wide from this sensation. You end the kiss and lean back slightly, observing in glee how awkwardly surprised he is. It makes you desire him even more. Kissing him again, you begin to give him a personal tutorial. The man is a quick learner, which is proven when he starts kissing back. It's a bit of a mess of lips colliding, but it starts to tighten up quickly.

Your moist tongue licks the bottom of his lips slowly, asking for permission inside. He opens his mouth slightly. You thank whoever was caring for him today that his breath smelled fresh. Your tongue enters his mouth and you start to guide your tongue into his mouth. It's a couple of pulses before his tongue slides with yours. Finally, you two were making out. Interchanging between pecks, long kisses, and tongue caressing made you wetter than ever. You could sense the heat pooling in your panties.

You weren't the only one wet, as you pull away to look at Michaels’ crotch. There lies a big wet stain on the pants of one leg, where his dick uncomfortably pulsed. You wanted him inside you so badly. So so badly. The outline of his big dick makes you moan softly. Michaels ears pick up the sexy sound, making his cock pulse fiercely. He backs up, jumping off of the mattress. You watch in interest to what he does next.

Thankfully for you, he strips his clothing, baring his whole body to you. ‘Oh my god’. It was a crime that a man this dangerious looks so fucking fine. His arms hold bulging biceps that make you drool. The muscles on his long torso are marvelous. His breasts look juicy and abs hard as a rock. Good lord. Your eyes travel down to brown curled wisps that adorned his crotch. His dick was standing prettily between his luscious legs. His pre-cum dripping from his pink head, pooling onto the mattress. Bringing yourself forward, you start crawling seductively on all fours towards him. You make sure to emphasize your hips as you do so. Your head is level with his dick. Through your pretty eyelashes, you look up. He looks down, waiting for you to do whatever you want. You bring your lips to the head and experimentally lick. His cock bounces back onto your tongue, pre cum spilling onto your tastebuds. He tenses in surprise.

You lick around his head and lower your mouth around his dick.He clenches his fist. You go as far down as you can, slightly choking on the amazing girth and length of his cock. He makes a strange strangled noise. You stay there, nostrils flaring as you breathe through your nose. You wait until you feel the saliva gather in your mouth before starting to suck his dick. You start bobbing, the sounds of saliva slushing as you move and suck. Michael curls his toes, and moans low. Luscious lips cover his cock, saliva drips onto the mattress, on your face, and moves down your neck as you continue. The amount of saliva produced was ludicrous, often causing you to spit more out onto his cock.

Michael could not take this any longer. He brings his hands to your hair and pulls back gently. While your head is bent back, he observes the state of your gorgeous face. Strings of saliva sit upon your face, under your nose and across the bottom half of your cheeks. It's an alluring sight. He bends down to kiss you, bringing his tongue straight into your mouth. The taste of himself doesn’t phase him.

He takes his hands and pushes you back onto the bed, back hitting the mattress. Michael quickly rids you of your pants and panties in one go. You lay there, legs slightly open to give Michael a teasing view.He looks at your pussy, glistening with your wetness. It covers your inner thighs. He brings himself back onto the mattress, taking your legs and spreading them further apart. He stares at your pussy inquisitively. Then looks up at you.

He does nothing as he interchanges his view of your face and your vagina. This again. It was getting frustating and you were ready to be fucked.

“Touch me…rub it, please...” you beg. Michael obliges, taking his fingers and rubs right onto the mysterious button poking out at him. It makes you tense up and moan loudly. He quickly rubs it again, addicted to the sounds you were making. You keep moaning, instructing him to put a finger inside.

It slides inside and its bliss. You plead for more. He adds a second finger, causing your opening to stretch. The moisture inside squelches as he twists. He experimentally rubs around, feeling the soft bumpy inside on your canal. Each movement makes you go crazier, your breath is heavy.

You scoot away, not wanting his fingers in you anymore. You want something much bigger.

“I want you inside me,” you state seductively.

His eyebrows raise. He sits up, cock in full view. You position yourself, legs behind your head ready for missionary. He enters and you both gasp. Michael scrunches his eyebrows while yours raises. The feeling was delicious. He starts moving, eyes desperately glued to your face. The faces you were making were erotic, burning into his memory. Michael didn’t want to miss a moment. Continuous strokes make your soul sing. His cock digs deeper, making you whine. Michael switches his angle and it sends you over. You climax, vagina spasming on his dick. Michael is mesmerized by your intense reaction.

He doesnt cum, purposefully. He wants to watch you climax beautifully more. It will make his release intense. Michael backs up and leaves the bed. With his strength, he lifts you and places you against the door. Your face and arms smush against the door as he lifts your legs. Michael lines himself up and starts fucking you. His strokes reverberate through your body, causing the door to vibrate. It was then that you remembered where you were. You cover your mouth with one hand to stifle your whines. It’s a challenge, considering Michael is becoming an expert at sex.

It’s still a real struggle to hold everything in as he fucks your second orgasm of the evening. Your eyes roll back and you try to breathe through. Michael pulls out and lifts you back to the bed, plopping your form down onto the mattress. He gently presses your head to the mattress and guides your bottom into the air. Oh, so he wants doggy style. Quickly, you arch your back and fix yourself in the position. Michael stared graciously at your lovely backside. He plunges himself into your heavenly canal.

Michael fucks you at a faster pace in doggystyle. The slaps from the skin contact fill the room. He grabs the back of your neck, squeezing slightly. Taking advantage of the position, you play with your clit. The pleasurable sensation builds up to your third climax. Michael allows this to be his first as you both finish at the same time. You feel Michaels’ dick pulse as he fills you up. He pulls out to watch his semen glide out of your pink hole.

Satisfied and sore, you fall onto your side. He sits back onto the bed as you catch your breath. You look over and he's observing you. The side of his mouth quirks up in a small smirk. He almost looks happy. Before you could register that interesting reaction, Michael gets up. You twist to watch as he walks over to the top cabinet and gets the key. He places it on the counter. Calmly, The Shape walks back and relaxes on his bed. Taking this as a cue, you get up. However, your legs are jelly. It feels ridiculous trying to hobble over to the counter. During your tumultuous journey, you gather what’s left of your clothes. The pants and panties were in good condition. You note that you had your bra on your body the whole time. But…your shirt. Ah!

Thankfully, you remember that there's extra shirts in a drawer in his room.After pulling down the white shirt, you turn to look at him again.

What could you say? Thanks for the mind blowing sex? You got me a little obsessed? He looks deceptively docile sitting there. His eyes tell you that he wants you to stay. But…you couldn’t. Although you wish you could, so you wouldn’t have to face the reality of what you’ve done. In the meantime, you decide to approach him, giving him one last kiss on the lips. Gathering the energy to leave, you collect what materials you could and make your way out. You give one last look to your new lover. Even though you leave physically, you know that you’re mentally hooked.

#michael myers #slasher x reader #black reader #grown folks business #18+

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malecardiolove · 6 months

Text

Tom's first echocardiogram

A few days have passed since Tom Holland's heart attack, he has taken a break from filming his film.

Dr. Luke asks him to bare his chest, exposing the young actor's well-formed pecs. Luke can't believe it, the beauty of that boy's body, and how he has gone through a moment like this. First he listens to his heart, he stands behind him and with the stethoscope listens to Tom's heartbeat, irregular but beautiful. Then he asks him to lie down on the stretcher, but before that he asks him to take off his shoes. To the doctor's surprise, Tom is not wearing socks, so he reveals big, white, and quite clean feet. He wiggles his toes, smiles at Luke. They like each other.

Luke explains that an echocardiogram will allow him to see his heart muscle in real time. The idea fascinates Tom, who begins to suffer palpitations, and he also finds the Doctor handsome, who begins by inspecting from the center of the chest. Tom sees the screen from his place, he cannot believe what he sees, that great little machine that It pumps weakly, but it turns out that there is no damage to its vital organ. "You have a big heart." Luke smiles at Tom.

"All good?"

"Sure, but I would like a longer session"

"My heart is ready for you whenever you want" Tom winks at her.

They both now look at the screen, a projection of the four chambers of Tom's heart delighting them.

After, Dr. Luke ask about the day of the Heart attack.

#male cardiophilia #male heartbeat #gay men #male heart #beating heart

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kinky-moth · 9 months

Note

i love love LOVED the human dildo training, got me mind all fuzzy 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

I'm glad you liked it, you don't see much male sub content around here unfortunately

I was gonna make a second part anyway but I'll post it sooner just for you <3

(part one) TW: hard kinks such as noncon and mind break, overstimulation, degradation, edging Dead dove, do not eat

Once morning comes the new dildo in training gets taken from its conditioning sleeping place and made to stand at attendance; most subjects oppose little to no resistance in their sleepy haze as their cage gets removed and their cocks get examined: during the first days there's no apparent difference, the toy's hips only do so much as twitch while its cock stays limp, but that's soon to change

After the morning check all the toys in their first phase get taken to the same room to be strapped and hooked to the machines, each programmed specifically to hit the subject's tender spots and make them cum the fastest; their head is strapped in place as well, made to watch footage upon footage of other former men going through the process and fulfilling their purpose as human dildos, cumming their brains out just like the machine is training it to do right now

There is no break in the group training room, high pitched moans and other unseemly sounds fill the toys ears as they're worked past their orgasm: the machines never stop once the cock goes limp, monitoring the recovery period every time, training it.

The stimulation doesn't cease until the maximum number of orgasms is reached. The cock is then scrubbed clean and put back in chastity, the subject then has the rest of the day off, but after the intensive work it can do nothing but pass out for another night of conditioning.

The routine keeps up day after day until optimal result is reached, until it stops begging to be spared: once the subject's cock strains in its cage upon wake it gets once again examined and then left in its room, alone for the rest of the day

By the time this happens the toy's mind is already near its breaking point: the addicting feeling of fully emptying its balls has corrupted its way into the thing's mind and now showed itself through an erection that won't go down

Some subjects manage to hold out longer, but most start spontaneously stroking their cocks within the hour, ignoring how painful it may be to further abuse the thing: this is how a toy finally accepts that the only way to feel pleasure anymore is by being used

A toy's hands aren't enough for that though, and it usually dissolves into pitiful moans after a couple of hours, dick still throbbing hard. It gets taken to the bed again for one last round of phase one conditioning, but its painful erection shows it's ready to move on to the next.

Phase two starts the morning after, during the usual inspection: the toy tries its best but its mind immediately melts into the touch of the examiner, hips jerking helplessly as whines escape its throat - its legs are too weak to stop them from taking it back to the examination table, but it's probably forgotten why he hated the place that much anyway.

There, the same machine greeted it again, now fine tuned to all its weaknesses

The doctors hook the toy to it once more and it can already feel the heat about to burst, its thoughts as a human long gone as all its body shivers in anticipation: the machine gets programmed again, and it starts the edging protocol

(Next)

#pretty boys #pretty boy #spicy content #nsft text #asks #spicy fanmail #spicy asks #nsft story #kinkystuff #nsft #cnc fr33use #fr33use #male sub #degradation kink #corruption kink #mutt training #mind control #mind break #mind conditioning

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tomtenadia · 9 days

Text

Detours to You - 27

Here I am with a new chapter... hope you like it. We are almost at the end. :)

Rowan was running late and he hated it. He had been out on a firehouse visit and the inspection had lasted longer than he wanted and now he was rushing towards the bookshop, excitement bubbling through him. Aelin had a doctor’s appointment and they were hoping to finally discover the gender of the baby. They had tried at the previous visit but their child had decided to be cheeky and not reveal themselves. Before leaving the firehouse he had texted Aelin to let her know he was on his way. And while he was giddy at experiencing all that he had missed during Aelin’s first pregnancy Maya had become fascinated by the idea of having a sibling and she had been also inquisitive about her growing belly so Rowan had done some research to find a suitable book to explain to a toddler what was happening. It was followed by a lot of interesting evening with some really challenging questions.

Finally getting rid of his pickup he walked quickly to the shop. Inside he was met by Lys and Elide who were at the counter discussing something.

“Good morning, Chief.” They told him as he entered “Aelin is in the back office.”

“So, are you excited?”

Rowan nodded. He was happy about the pregnancy but now he was really looking forward to know more about their baby. He had been fussing more than usual but he had a great help in Maya who was happy to help her mum too. Some evening they would sit on the sofa and Rowan would read stories and Maya would place her head on her mum’s lap to be close to the baby. He was looking forward to feel them kick. Rowan wanted to experience so badly all the little things that he had missed with Maya.

“Yes.” He replied “I just wish she would take it a bit slower. She is always so tired.”

Elide sighed “We try. But you know how she is.”

He nodded. Yes, the few times he had suggested her to stay at home she almost strangled him and called him a fussy buzzard.

“You do know she is going to drop the baby in the middle of this bookstore, right?”

Rowan groaned. He had already enlisted the parents to help him in his mission to convince Aelin to take it slow.

“I know..”

In that instant Aelin appeared and went for a kiss “Don’t, I was in the office sitting down.”

Rowan groaned and then gently brushed her small bump “are you both ready to go?”

Aelin nodded and waved at the two women and they left the shop.

In the car Aelin strapped in “I am so excited.” She brushed her tummy “I hope peanut will behave today.”

He leaned forward and kissed her “you make me happy.” He confessed.

“Peanut, you need to know that your dad is a mushy old man.”

Rowan roared with laughter and set the car in motion “don’t listen to your mum, little one.”

At the hospital they went straight for the maternity ward and checked in with the nurses and sat waiting for their doctor.

“Aelin, Rowan, come in.”

After the usual chat, doctor Hafiza invited Aelin to lay down on the bed and Rowan took position at her side, her hand in his in anticipation.

Doctor Hafiza moved the ultrasound machine closer and stood beside the bed.

“You know the drill,” she joked, and Aelin lifted her shirt to allow the doctor to place the gel on her belly.

“Now, let’s see if your baby today decides to reveal themselves to us.”

Rowan kissed Aelin’s hand and gasped at the image on the screen. It did not matter that he had seen it before, the grainy picture of his child still moved something in him.

“Come on, little one, move for me.” Doctor Hafiza shifted the wand until a big smile spread on her face “so what do we think?”

“A girl,” added Aelin quickly.

“I am happy with either.”

The doctor moved the wand a bit more until a huge grin spread on her face and with his finger she pointed at the screen “what about a wee boy?”

Rowan and Aelin stared at each other and he kissed her and Aelin nodded excited.

“Is he okay?”

The doctor was silent for a moment “yes, all the measurements are perfectly within range, he is growing up nicely.”

Rowan brushed Aelin’s hair “we are having a boy,” his voice soft and already in love with the life growing inside Aelin,

“Is Aelin okay too?”

The woman in question rolled her eyes “he is fussing. If it were for him he’d lock me up in a cocoon until the baby comes out.”

The doctor laughed “she is fine and I will schedule regular check ups. You are well over thirty and although not risky yet, I just want to make some extra checks.” she explained “I would recommend taking it easy. Let him do the heavy lifting.”

Rowan beamed but their doctor stopped him “movement is not all bad. Work will be fine until she manages, and I recommends walks and there’s also pregnancy yoga. Just be mindful of which poses you do.”

“Oh yes, I used to do that when I was pregnant with Maya.”

“I had a c-section before, will I be able to have a natural birth?”

Aelin felt Rowan’s hand tense in hers.

The doctor nodded “we will monitor your pregnancy carefully, but there’s usually no risk if both mum and baby are healthy.”

“But there are risks?”

“Rowan, childbirth itself is always a risky business. But I am good at my job.”

Aelin looked up at him and she knew he was already in crazy fussy mode.

“Let’s just hope the little one behaves better than his sister and waits for his correct time and decides to come out as nature intended to.”

The doctor chuckled “Maya was a hellion from the start.”

Aelin and her doctor seemed to share a joke they only knew about and Rowan stood there in silence. A part of him, reminding him that he had not been there the first time and the dull ache of what he had missed came back. He sighed, pushing back all the negative thoughts. He and Aelin were on track, they had a family and they were looking forward. It was time for him to stop dwelling on what had happened.

Aelin patted his hand “he is a worrywart and I am sure he is already thinking about all he could do to protect us.” She kissed his hand looking up at him and mouthing an I love you.

“Guess it’s the first responder in him.”

The doctor cleaned up Aelin’s belly and she finally sat up “I will book your next appointment, but if you have any issues just call the ward and I will try and squeeze you in.”

Outside of the room Aelin turned to Rowan and threw her arms around his neck “we are having a boy.”

He bowed his head and met her lips for a sweet kiss “wonder how Maya will take it.”

Aelin smiled against his lips “that little hellion of ours will be delighted.”

Rowan quickly looked at his watch “is it okay if I take you back to the bookstore? I have a meeting coming up soon and another firehouse visit.”

“Of course.”

“Sorry,” a kiss “I have a captain who is in an acting role because an investigation and I have to check a few things.”

Aelin caressed his face “go, Lys and Elide will look after me.”

“I will come and pick you up after work, then we are getting Maya from your parents and we’ll celebrate tonight.”

“Adult fun?”

“Menace.”

Rowan afternoon had been crazy. After his meeting he had run to the fire station and when he was on his way back the radio became alive so he did a u-turn and drove to the accident. By the time everything was resolved it was far too late for his taste. He had quickly called Aelin while driving and told her he might not be able to meet her to go and pick up Maya. He hated it, but that was his job. On his way home he had stopped at Emrys and bough Aelin’s favourite chocolate cake to apologise.

He drove uphill to the house and relaxed. He just wanted to sit on the sofa with his two women and have a quiet evening.

“Ae, I am home.” He called while toeing off his shoes.

Maya appeared instead “hi dada!”

In a swift motion he picked her up “hi munchkin, where’s mum?”

“She just went to the toilet.”

He kissed his daughter “sorry I could not come and pick you up.”

“Mama said you were helping with a fire.”

“I was.”

A moment later Aelin appeared and he quickly scanned her to make sure all was okay.

“Is that chocolate cake you have in your hands?”

Rowan scoffed and looked at his daughter still in his arms “she loves chocolate more than me.”

Maya hugged his neck “it’s okay dad, I love you.”

Aelin moved closer “peanut and I love you madly,” she added leaning against his arms “but you must know by now that I would gladly cheat on you with a cake from Emrys.”

He laughed and put Maya on the ground while passing the cake to Aelin “I need a shower then I will make dinner.” He then turned to Maya “make sure mama does not eat the chocolate cake while I am away.”

The girl grinned and Rowan disappeared upstairs.

By the time he was back all refreshed both Aelin and Maya were in the living room “Dada, I kept mama away.” She told him proudly.

Rowan smacked a kiss on her cheek “well done, baby.”

Aelin crossed her arms at her chest “yes, the little traitor,” she joked “you carry them for nine months and then they side with the father.”

Rowan sat at Aelin’s side and pulled her to him and kissed her “I am just looking after your sugar intake.”

She grumbled and Rowan caressed her belly “did you tell Maya?”

“I was waiting for you.”

Rowan nodded and called the girl who crawled happily with her elf toy in tow.

He lifted her up and sat her in between them “Maya, your mum and I today went to the doctor and we discovered a bit more about your sibling.”

She looked at them with interest and Aelin took over “what do you think about having a little brother?”

“Can I play with him?”

“Of course,” added Rowan “as soon as he is a bit older you can teach him all your favourite games.”

Quickly she held elf closer at her chest “but Elf is mine.”

“Of course.”

At that she relaxed and went to touch her mum’s belly.

Rowan took that as a cue to go and make dinner.

He was busy prepping when a set of arms sneaked around his waist “that went well I think?”

Aelin kissed his back “I am not sure how she will react. I was an only child. Will she get jealous?”

Rowan chuckled and kept cooking “I was an only child too but as you know, the Whitethorn are a huge clan. My dad had a brother and a sister and they got a long wonderfully.”

Aelin sighed “I want her to love her brother.”

He turned for a brief moment “as long as we show them both that they are loved, we should be fine. Let’s try and make Maya feel included.”

“She is already proud of being a big sister.”

Rowan kissed her and went back cooking “how did you two get home?”

“Lorcan came to pick up Elide and he offered to get Maya from school and drive us home.”

He relaxed “I am sorry I let you down.”

Aelin moved at his side and looked at him “you did not,” her hand caressed his face “you were at work and then had an emergency. And if Lorcan had not showed up, we would have gone to my mum until you were back.”

Rowan kissed “I love you.”

Aelin pinched his arse “now Whitethorn, get a move on with the chow. You spawn and I are starving.”

He pushed her gently away and finished preparing dinner.

Then while cooking an idea hit him.

He knew how to propose.

He just needed to enlist Lysandra and Elide in his plan.

taglist

@rowaelinismyotp @swankii-art-teacher @whimsicallyreading @elentiyawhitethorn @aelin-bitch-queen @bruiseonthefaceofhumanity @mis-lil-red @thegreyj @sailorsassley @leiawritesstories @clairec79 @morganofthewildfire @sv0430 @heartless--aromantic @autumnbabylon @rowanaelinn @susumaus98 @gracie-rosee @mybloodrunsblue @tanvee1231 @avenrebekah @whoever-you-choose-to-love @theywillnotsingforme @universallytreepost @black-daisy-water @goddess-aelin @whispers-in-the-darkest-heart @lovely-dove-zee @athena127 @mariaofdoranelle

#rowaelin #rowan whitethorn #rowan x aelin #rowaelin fanfiction #rowaelin fanfic #aelin x rowan #rowanwhitethorn #throne of glass fanfiction #aelin galathynius

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thoughtsandbones · 7 months

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The flesh you thread between my blood and bones slows down the pendulum of death

Simon 'Ghost' Riley x F!MedicDoc OC (codename: Blue) 💀💙

WARNINGS: Mention of profanity, scars, fluff, anxiety, medical inaccuracies, surgery, blood, gore and just getting the POV of our friendly neighbourhood masked menace.

Plot: Doctor Ruhari Hari Kaur (OC is South Asian ☺️) joins the 141 again, but this time as their doctor. After the betrayal of Shepherd and Graves, Task Force 141 begins their hunt on his whereabouts and locating Makarov.

PLEASE reblog and like! Hope folks are enjoying the series, I am building up characters and plots, cos I have a lot ideas and just been enjoying writing :D

Song inspo: Don't Fear the Reaper - Tom Jones, American Idiot - Green Day, After Dark - Mr.Kitty, 1973 - James Blunt

I grew up with the OG MW2 game, so there are some references to the old one, so kind of a mix of both the OG and the new timeline... (Also I'm ignoring the OG Shepherd betrayal and keeping in line the one with the new timeline..)

spelling and some grammar mistakes as I am bad at times... :/

(FYI: bold sentences... that are like this... are supposed to describe redacted data/info to the plot... ;] .. )

Please do let me know how you all are finding this fanfic! :D

PART 1, PART 2, PART 3, PART 4, PART 5, PART 6, PART 7, PART 8, PART 9, PART 10, PART 11, PART 12, PART 13, PART 14 and PART 15 I

Part 15 II

Ghost stared at the yellow sign reading in black NO UNAUTHORISED PERSONNEL ALLOWED BEYOND THIS POINT on the white double doors that led to the operating room where Soap had been wheeled in by both doctors, surrounded by other medical staff.

As he walked behind them when they rushed ahead he heard them shouting all sorts of medical jargon. You were so calmly ordering for mLs of drugs with too many Zs. He looked down at his skeletal gloves, the fake bones once white now stained red with Johnny's blood.

Looking up again at the sign he thought of you. How your hands would also be bloodied, pouring deep into Soap's body, mending him.

You gotta save him he pleaded in his head. He couldn't lose Soap, not now. Not after what they had been through together in Mexico, Chicago... now this.

'C'mon Lt!' Soap's words rang through his skull. Guilt flooded his chest as he remembered moments of how blunt he had been to Soap...

Squeezing his fist tight, Ghost sighed and then walked down the corridor until he found himself a chair in an empty room and plopped the chair right outside those double doors. Sitting down, Ghost winced with pain, the cut sobbed as he sat down and moved his torso.

"Fuuuck" He growled quietly.

Leaning back, he shut his eyes letting the darkness wash over him.

...

Soap was lifted onto the surgical bed. As you and Peyton scrubbed in, the nurses dressed him. Through the window of the scrub room you watched as he was intubated, his bloodied clothes discarded in the yellow hazard bin.

Once scrubbed and prepped, you assume the lead role in the surgery. Neuro was your speciality, this was a spinal injury. This is your arena. Closing your eyes, you breathe in.

"It's a beautiful night to save lives" You say, opening your eyes. Peyton eyes crinkle, a sign she was smiling under her medical mask.

"10 blade" You say and the nurse gives your instrument. You place the edge of the blade two inches above the bullet wound, applying pressure with your index finger you slide the blade across the skin unveiling the flesh beneath.

"Suction" Peyton says and she moves in with the machine that gargles up the blood from the exposed muscle

Peeling back the muscular layers you clamp down areas needing support. Soap's lumbar was one display. No major damage could be seen.

"Bullet must've missed the lumbar" Peyton says

"L1 clear" You say inspecting the upper lumbar region, with your blade you move down

"L2 clear"

"Suction" Peyton says

"L3 clear" you say and then move down

"Suction"

As you looked around L4, there was a sudden gush of blood and the monitors started beeping rapidly

"Found the bullet" You say "Clarissa, Kerrison rongeur" holding your left hand up whilst holding the area with your blade as Peyton continued suction. The beeping subdued.

"Need another pair of hands for this" You say

Peyton gave the suction pipe to the nurse on her right and then took hold of a clamp and forceps.

Cutting away at the connective tissue and muscle you peel the layer as Peyton grabs the shrapnel

"Hard part now.." She said after depositing the shrapnel in dish

Rapid beeping started again. You and Peyton both move together, suction, cutting, threading and assessing any damage to the surrounding nerves.

"Pulse at 120" Clarissa said as she took hold of the forceps from Peyton

"Shit" You say as more blood gushed from the wound which was quickly slurped away from the suction pipe.

"Sutures" Peyton said and she began to sew up the first damaged nerve.

There was a increase in beeping

"Pulse 150"

"Let me do it" You say and Clarissa swiftly gives you a new set of sutures.

After adjusting yourself you look down "Surgical microscope please" And the microscope was brought down to your level and adjusted to your eyeline.

Focusing your eyes through the lense you begin to graft the a new nerve from the damaged nerve, cutting the damaged part and sewing the ends.

This was your element. Fixing the broken. Mending the hurt.

After 5 hours of intense surgery, you and Peyton were nearly finished. The beat of song playing off the speaker was echoing across the walls of the OR. Nodding your head along to the drum of Green Day's American Idiot as you finished suturing the final layer of Soap's skin.

"Nice finish" Peyton said as she cleaned the area "Stats are good" she added looking at the various monitors that beeped rhythmically along with the music.

"Pause music please" You said, one of the nurses pauses.

You cut the last suture and place the forceps onto the tray held by Clarissa.

"Good job Dr Kaur" She said nodding at you. You nod back and return to admire the handiwork which was being dressed by Peyton and another nurse.

"He is stable and stats are looking great" Clarissa says as you eye the monitor. You turn to her and smile, putting more effort to crinkle as your mouth was hidden behind the mask.

"We will take him back to the ICU just for observation" Peyton said as she moved over from Soap to you and Clarissa.

"I'll help take him" Clarissa said "Well done"

"No thank you" You say "Thank you everyone" You say loudly to the rest of the medical team all who respond with a cheerful thanks back.

"I'm gonna head back" You say

"I'll keep you updated, and let you know when the team can see him" Peyton says taking her gloves off as they left the OR, she tapped you on the shoulder and walked off.

Taking off your surgical cover, masks and gloves you wash the grimy sweat off your hands. The smell of strong disinfectant soap filled your nose.

Leaving the scrub room you walk off back towards the double doors where you had rolled Soap in. He was okay now. Had to wait until he was awake to see if there is any nerve damage to his legs...

Checking one of the clocks on the hallway you realise it was 11:49am, you longed for a hot shower and then the comfort of your bed. Walking through the double doors, midway through yawning you were met with a giant man sat in the middle of the hallway. The skull face gave you a jump. It took a few moments to register that it was Ghost.

"Lieut-"

Ghost leapt up from his chair and nearly toppled you over as he confronted you

"Is he alright? Did he make it?" He blurted, his eyes widening at you.

You stare back into his eyes, only just able to make out the blue iris.

"He's okay." You say, reaching your right hand up to to his shoulder.

"His legs, said somethin' abou' his legs" Ghost huffed at you

"Ghost, he is stable and in the ICU, regarding his legs, we will have to wait until he wakes up to assess any damage." You to him calmly

He takes in this information, your calm demeanor. Of course you know what you are doing he thought to himself

"Are you okay sir? You ask

"I'm okay" Ghost said quickly.

You look at him curiously, there was something off about him.

"Okay then.." You say moving away from him.

Ghost moves towards the chair and picked it up with his left arm, the sudden weight made him wince and groan as his unattended wound stretched and weep as he moved.

"Fuuck" He whispered to himself as he set the chair back down and placing his right hand over his wound on the left side of his waist.

"Lieutenant what happened?" You say rushing over to him

"Nothin'" He said trying to push you away. You scoff at him and roll your eyes.

"Ghost, I'm in no mood for bullshit" You say sharply at him. Ghost looked at you, eyebrows narrowed, your eyes slightly red and clearly tired.

He was being rude again.

"I got a nick" He said motioning to his wound looking at your stern face, eyes narrowed. Clearly annoyed. "Can you patch me up?" He asks, your stern face relaxed, softened.

"Right, come with me" You say letting out a big sigh and head out of the RAMC building and then back to the infirmary in Building 2.

Turning the light on you spritz the med bed and give it a quick wipe.

"Get your vest off" You say plainly to Ghost who follows your command. He unties the straps and then sets his vest aside. Attempting to take his hoodie off but he couldn't as the wound caused him to wince further.

"Need some help?" You say as you look over to Ghost who was clearly struggling.

"Alrigh' then" He said and braced himself as you walk closer to him, bringing your hands to his body, rolling the hem of his hoodie slowly and carefully.

Ghost winced again as you went near his waist.

"Might have to cut it off" You suggest looking up at him.

"Go on then" He mumbled, the edge of his mouth curved slightly under his mask.

Grabbing a pair of clothing shears, you cut the hoodie off Ghost, revealing a damp black shirt underneath, his bare muscular arms on unveiled. You look at his waist, and see a patch of dried up blood, parts of his shirt clung to his skin dried and wrinkled.

"Sit on the med bed please" You motioning to the bed and then you walk off to the bathroom to wash your hands. Sleep eludes you. Drying your hands you head back to where Ghost was, who was now sitting crouched on the edge of med bed.

Putting on a pair of gloves and grabbing a stool with your foot you slide close to Ghost, and lift the t-shirt. As suspected the parts that clung to the skin where dried stuck to the wound. An impromptu weak bandage.

"Gonna also have to cut your shirt around the wound, it's dried to the gash"

Ghost looked down at you.

"Can't you bandage it?" He asks and the expression your face held clearly showed he asked a stupid question.

Your look of disbelief subdued, and grabbed the scissors. Ghost's heart quickened. He didn't mind being shirtless. But not when he has been in the field with limited availability to shower, smelt like shit and especially in front of a woman he was interested in...

"Wai-" Ghost began but he was too late, you began to cut his shirt off him, exposing his sticky sweaty scarred skin.

As you cut away at the fabric you notice various deep pink and white scars adorned on his chest and abdomen. Dirt had built up in areas, but it was expected. A shower is the last thing you need in the field.

Grabbing some saline water and a towel, you wash away dirt surrounding the remaining cloth covering his wound. Gently, with your gloved fingers you peel the cloth away revealing the gammy wound. Inflamed and dirty.

"Lift your arm" You ask and Ghost does so and watches as your pour more saline to the wound, his eyes focused on the precision placement of your fingers on his waist, not ogling him.

He slightly winces as your fingers graze over a sensitive area. As you examine the area, you notice it was bumpy, sand had gotten into the wound.

"This area is very inflamed. Lie down, it'll sting as I clean it" You say gently

Ghost shuffled back and then. laid down and then turned his head to watch as you focused on cleaning his wound, your concentration unwavering as you focused on the task at hand. He noticed the lack of talking, just blunt and no joy. But then, you did just finish a 6 hour surgery.

He gazed at your tired eyes, noticed how you rapidly blink every now and then, your mouth pursed, no smile on show. You grabbed some small gauze and wiped the wound.

"This is going to need stitches" You say

"Hmm" Ghost mumbled "I'll let you get to work, I'll just be here" He adds

You laugh slightly and then finish cleaning the area before starting to suture the two layers of fatty tissue and muscle, pulling the flesh together again, wiping away any blood with clean gauze.

Ghost felt himself slip into the bed beneath him as you got to work, focusing on his breathing; in for four, hold, then out slowly for four. Drifting away, away from the chaos of the last 24 hours. Away from the chaos that still looms ahead of him.

<CUE FLASHBACK> 23rd August 2010 Ashfield Base, mess hall "Sergeant Riley" You said as you plopped down opposite your superior in the mess hall with your lunch, the hall was mostly empty, the radio played on the speaker overhead. "Cadet" Sergeant Riley said not looking up from his cup of tea and half-eaten sausage roll. "C'mon sir, you know my name" You quipp at him as you take a bite of your pizza. Simon looks up from his cup and stars at you, your eyes widened and the grin appeared on your face. "Cadet Ruhari" He sighed looking back at his sausage roll. "Cadet maybe no more" You say cheerfully Simon looked up quickly "What do you mean?" He asked "Captain asked if I wanted to come join full time, commit proper into the army." You said "Ah" Simon said quietly "Ain't you got some good brains for uni?" He added and looked at you as you shrugged "Maybe can do it later, but I do enjoy this" You say motioning the space around you. "Nothin' enjoyable about war" He said sharply You were taken aback "Of course not sir, I just meant as in discipline, camaraderie and the protection of one's country" "Hmm" Simon mumbles giving you a slight cold stare with his sharp blue eyes. In that moment of silence, the radio station at base start playing 1973 by James Blunt. The echoes of the piano filled your body and you began to twiddle your fingers to the beat of the drum. Looking at Simon you start to grin, he looks up at you as you begin to mouth the lyrics: Simona.. you're getting older Your journey's been etched on your skin... "Simonaaaa" You sing quietly and giggle Simon gazed at your joyous smile as you continued to mouth the lyrics of the stupid song that made a twist of his name. He watched on as you exaggerated the 'mona' part of Simona and laughed along with you. Simon knew the Captain was going to offer you a place in the army, but he had hoped you would decline. Going out in the field changes people. Changes the best of people. Turns them into someone else. Would you still be the same after you see the horrors of war? Simon wondered as he watched you finally finish the now cold slice of pizza. He would hate to see that beautiful smile disappear.

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writersblockedx · 1 year

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Loose Ends: Chapter Two

Chapter Two: Relics

Based off - Episode Two Pairing - Joel Miller x Fem!Reader Warnings - Implications of sex, violence, language (let me know if I’ve missed anything) Words - 12K

A/n - I’m planning on writing each chapter as each episode comes out. And I’m hoping to always have them posted on a Monday!

⇦ Prevous Chapter / Next Chapter ⇨ Read also on: AO3 Wattpad

Masterlist

2007 Sure it wasn't the squeaky clean hospital and labs she was once used to (despite the fact they were all suddenly much more aware of germs), but it was what to be expected. Y/n had what they could find or what they could make and she made due. Only problem being knowing exactly what you needed to save someone who was ill from something disconcerting the outbreak, and not having that something to hand.

Which was why she much preferred appointments like these. The less devastating ones. The ones which she could prescribe some on-demand painkillers. "Joel Miller?" She called, leant against her desk as dark-haired man stood between this office of hers and the doorway.

He flashed a grin, scanning his surroundings before his gaze fell to Y/n. "That would be me." The girl returned the smile, putting her notebook to the side which she had been reading from. When she looked back up, she found Joel walking further into the room, still seemingly amazed by what was around him. "See they brought in a load of nice, shiny supplies for the new doctor."

"Not just a doctor." Y/n spoke as she gestured to the hospital bed that was situated by the window, "Take a seat, please Joel." He did so, quietly as he observed her closely. She put on clear plastic gloves as she stood in front of the man, a grin still hanging from her lips as he looked up at her through narrowed eyes like he was trying to work something out. "I'm also a scientist."

"Scientist?" He reiterated. "But you're a doctor too right? You know how to do doctor-things?" He didn't realise until the words left his mouth how stupid he must have sounded. Especially in front of someone like her.

"Bachelor's degree in biomedical science. That's what makes me qualified enough today to treat you." Joel nodded but chose to keep his lips shut this time in case words just slipped from his tongue without intention. "Now, what exactly am I treating today?"

Joel only needed to raise his hand, displaying the bruised and bulging wound which burdened his knuckles. "I mean, I don't have a biomedic-whatever, but I'm pretty sure it's broken." Y/n delicately took a hold of the battered hand, inspecting it.

She glanced back up at him and a smile grew at her lips. "Almost." She dropped his hand and wandered over to a supply cupboard, rummaging through it as she continued on. "Your actual hand isn't broken." She started to explain before returning to the man with several supplies he didn't bother to take note of.

"Okay, then what is?" He questioned.

Once more, Y/n took his hand. And with her index finger, she pointed to the dark purple, almost black swelling that lined two of his fingers. "This here. This is broken. Small bones on your fingers which will likely repair themselves over time." She informed, always making sure she stole a glance at him. And always finding that his eyes were already trained on her. "You don't have any need to write or anything?"

He shook his head, "Not anymore, no."

"Good. It shouldn't cause you too much trouble then." She said before her finger moved down to the man's knuckles which were too littered in cuts and dark circles. "This here, this part of your knuckle, looks to be sprained. Not bruised, probably just sprained."

When she looked to him, she found his brows raised. "Probably?"

"You see an X-ray machine around here?"A lack of equipment the girl could deal with for appointments like these. "It's likely your hand will repair on its own. But, for now, I can tape your fingers up."

She was already reaching over to the supplies she had brought from the cupboard. Some cleaning wipes, a bit of cloth and tape. "And this 'll fix 'em?" Joel asked as the doctor took ahold of the two broken fingers.

Y/n placed them close together with the cloth on the back of the fingers. "It'll help your body fix them, yes." She said, tapping the two together carefully as to not harm the man more so.

A small snicker left Joel's lips, "It's a bit of tape." He thought aloud, meeting her pooling gaze that seemed to keep him trapped here with her - not that Joel was complaining.

"Trust me," She started in a hushed tone, "That's all you need."

She finished bandaging up his fingers, slowly removing her touch from his, leaving the man yearning for the feeling once again. "So, no painkillers?" He pushed his luck once her back was turned, scribbling something down that he couldn't see.

Though, his words had earnt a small laugh from the woman as she flicked her head back around at him, "No painkillers." She finished writing before finally turning to face him, a glint of curiosity in her eye. "But, if it looks to be getting infected, come right back here, alright?"

"And then you'll give me some painkillers?"

"Well, I won't be now." She replied with a grin hanging at her lips. "Could I ask you something Joel?"

The man wasn't sure where she was going with that. But, still, he hummed, nodded his head and mumbled something along the line of, "Sure."

And Y/n went with it. "How many hours of sleep are you getting?"

Truth was, Joel was expecting something more like when are you free? Or, what are you doing tonight? "Well, that depends. If the couple in the apartment next to me are feeling excitable, then 4 hours. If the roof looks like its about to crumble again, 3. And sometimes, though, only on rare occasions, 6 when none of the above takes place." He informed with a light-heartedness to his tone.

"So not enough sleep then?" She questioned.

Joel shrugged at that; he hadn't a clue how many hours people were supposed to get at the end of the world. "I mean, if you're offering to give some methods of relaxation, I wouldn't be opposed." The smirk on his lips was drooling in pride and truthfully, Y/n didn't want to break that pride.

"Not quite." The smirk faded. Y/n took a grasp of a murky bottle and wandered back over to the man. "There not painkillers, alright? But they should help with the sleeping." She advised, handing them over to Joel as he started to inspect them for himself. "I would also recommend requesting a new apartment too if it looks like the roof is about to cave in."

He didn't glance up from the bottle as he responded, "I've tried, don't you worry." The man finally stood, almost too close, shoving the pills into his back pocket. "Thanks for the check up, Doc."

"Of course." He was about turn and leave but Y/n couldn't seem to help herself. "And Joel," The man noted her hesitation. "I may not have a psychology degree, but if there's anything you want to talk about-"

He interjected before she could continue, "That's alright." A smile flashed at his lips. Though, it was one of which Y/n could tell was forced. Joel started walking, peering over as he spoke, "I'll be alright." He assured.

She never broke eye contact. Not even when she followed up with, "Just needing to find some relaxation methods?" And then, at Y/n's lips, there was that smirk. The same smirk Joel had once held.

The man stood in the door way, deabting for a long moment as to what his final words would be to this woman he already seemed to be awing over. "It'd be nice to start getting as much as my neighbours do." And like that, with one final grasp of eye contact, Joel turned his back and exited the building. With a stitched up hand, a bottle of sleeping pills and the yearning ideas of this doctor he left.

Y/n knew after that encounter that Joel Miller was someone she was going to see again.

Y/n awoke to the feeling of being watched. It took her a moment after her eyelids fluttered open to adjust to the sight looming over her. She noted the two figures. Though, it was only when she processed the rifle pointed between her eyes that she jumped. "Jesus, Joel!" She snapped, loud enough to stir the sleeping girl next to her.

Him and Tess were seated on two battered chairs, staring ever so menacingly at her and Ellie. Y/n pulled herself to sit up, Ellie doing the same as she turned to find the gun still pointed right at them. "Morning." She scoffed.

Though it wasn't until Ellie went to get up that the rifle followed her. Joel wasn't threatening Y/n, no, he was threatening Ellie, the girl with the infected bite, the girl who should be dead. Ellie sat back down nd Y/n's stare turned just as menacing as theirs. "Joel." She seethed, her gaze flickering to Tess, only to find she had no intention on helping her; what a surprise.

"Do I look like I'm infected?" Quipped the young girl who's only armour right now was Y/n's body.

"Show us your arm." Joel demanded.

Ellie looked to Y/n first as if silently asking permission. Only once the woman had nodded her head, did she roll her sleeve up, showcasing the white scar which painted her skin. It was rigid and bumpy, but it wasn't bright yellow or red, it wasn't what it should be. Both Joel and Tess suddenly took interest in the mark, "Yeah." Said Ellie. "It's not getting any worse, is it?"

Y/n tilted her head at the pair, "Why else do you think were moving her?" That question seemed to evoke thought as the two looked to another, a similar expression shared between them.

"If we're in open city, why aren't we getting swarmed?" Wondered Ellie as her innocent eyes scanned their surroundings.

"Don't worry about that." Joel snapped, determined to keep on topic.

Though, Ellie still raised a brow and said, "Well, I'm gonna." And Y/n couldn't disagree with that.

Tess looked to Y/n, hands in her pockets and settled in narrow eyes as the cogs in her brain started to turn. "What were you and Marlene doing with an infected kid?" She inquired.

With a gun still pointed at her, Y/n only felt inclined to answer. "Why do you think, Tess?" Her hand gestured to the girl. The perfectly normal, the perfectly healthy girl. "Does she look infected to you?" That didn't seem enough for either of them, still staring blankly. So Y/n huffed and continued to hand out information, "Look, Marlene found her after she got bit."

"And she didn't shoot her?" Joel uttered, harshly.

"Clearly not." Ellie answered before Y/n had the chance to.

"Marlene got a message to me when she realised Ellie was turning into one of them." Y/n went on to explain.

A scoff left Tess' lips, "And I bet FEDRA loved that their favourite doctor was working with the fireflies."

"You two aren't the only ones who know how to get around without being noticed." She replied as her expression turned stern. "I visited almost every other day to see if she was getting sick, checking her vitals, doing tests-"

Y/n was about to point out how Ellie was obviously not getting sick, but Tess cut in, "What tests?"

Her lips didn't move. A pause followed and neither Y/n or Tess looked like they were about to break. Then came Ellie's voice, "I need to pee." She voiced.

And so Tess leaned forward, not breaking her eye contact as even firmer, she asked, "What tests?"

There was no getting out this and Y/n knew it. The gun pointed at her head knew it too. "We'd get her to hold out her hand and keep it steady. Then she'd count to ten. Followed my blood pressure, temperature, every test that I could physically fit in that little bag over there." Y/n pointed to her backpack in the corner. While theirs were filled with food and weapons, all she had were basic medical supplies.

"Though," Ellie's voice rang again and Y/n knew what was about to follow was unlikely to help the current conversation. "I think what really impressed everyone was the fact I didn't turn into a fucking monster." Then she stood abruptly, the rifle following her. "Now, can I please?"

She didn't start walking until Tess said, "Fine." Then her eyes flickered to Y/n who still sat on the ground. "The adults can have a talk." She reached down, grasping a magazine which was soon thrown to the girl. "And here. Tear out a few pages."

Ellie caught in, stole one last glance before turning and wandering into another room. "There isn't gonna be anything bad in here, right?" She yelled.

"Just you." Joel commented as he and Tess stood from their seats.

A scoff came from Ellie, "Ha. Funny." And with that, she disappeared into the other room.

Y/n watched Ellie for as long as she could. Though, the woman wasn't sure if she did so in a want to protect the girl, or if she was just attempting to avoid what was about to come. Once Ellie exited the room completely, Y/n turned. And she turned slowly, finding the pair were towering over her. Lucky, Joel had ditched the rifle by now, letting it hang on the back of his chair. Not that it made his stare any less deathly.

Huffing, Y/n rose to her feet too, as if making herself known as one of the adults too. "What are you doing here, Y/n?" Joel questioned first.

"Didn't I just tell you?" She argued with a snap in her tone. "I'm here because she is." He gestured towards the room Ellie had wandered into. "And trust me," A scoff escaped her lips. "That was not apart of the plan."

"And what was the plan?" Asked Tess.

"None of your business."

"Alright," Tess shifted in her stance and Y/n grew nervous in the uncertainty of what was about to follow. "Whats actually up with her? Was she bitten?"

"Yes, but as you've both clearly just seen, she's not infected." Y/n reminded them.

But even with it right in front of them, they weren't convinced. "How do you know?" Tess pushed.

"How do I know?" A moment passed. Irritation bubbled in her gut. So much so, it urged her forward, a stern glare burning into the eyes of the other woman. "I may not be a smuggler, may not buy guns left, right and centre, but I do still have a biomedicine degree. And a forensic science honours degree and I was just about to get another one in neuroscience before the outbreak hit. I'm a certified genius whose been working as a doctor for the past 20 years. You'd think I know what the fuck I'm talking about."

This time, Tess was the one whose lips seemed sealed shut. A smile filled her expression in an attempt to fill the silence which followed. Y/n took a long exhale, letting her gaze wander, only to land on Joel's hand. The hand which was battered and bruised from killing the soldier. "Your hands broken." She soon pointed out before her eyes jumped back up to his.

Instinctively, his fist clenched. He shrugged it off in the face of Y/n, "It's just a hairline. It'll heal fast." He excused but if Y/n knew anything about Joel, it was his need to hide anyway any sign of weakness.

"Since when did you become a doctor?" She raised a brow at him and the man chose not to answer. Y/n was already walking over to her backpack as she continued on, "I didn't really have a chance to go home and pack, so all I have is this." She showcased the inside, the various machines and supplies. "If there's anything I can actually help with while were out here, it's making sure you all stay in one piece."

Joel's eyes flickered to Tess, silently asking if it were okay. She must have given an indication of permission as the man sat down and held out his palm. The girl kneeled down in front of him, grasping some wipes and tape as she started cleaning the blood which still littered his knuckles. "I think we should take her back to the QZ." Joel voiced, prompting both pairs of eyes to jolt to his. Though, Y/n found that Joel's gaze was centred on the other woman. "We find another way to get our battery."

"They'll kill her if you do that." Y/n told them.

And by the looks on their faces, that certainly wasn't a deal breaker for them. "Not really a priority for us." Joel replied.

"This is our best shot." Said Tess, leaning forward.

Y/n reached for the tape, having to cut it off with her bare teeth before applying it to Joel's fingers. "As long as you get her to that State House, I'll make sure Marlene gives you whatever you need."

Joel looked down at her, "You're talking about this kid as if she's got some kind of life in front of her."

And Y/n came with such a simple reply: "Because she does."

Timing seemed perfect as Ellie came back into the room, throwing the magazine to Tess. Y/n put her focus back to the man's hand, taping the two broken fingers together. "That should help it heal and make sure you don't do any further damage." Which, considering it was Joel, was likely to happen.

The woman shoved the supplies back into her bag, standing and walking back to where Ellie was seated. "You hungry?" Tess inquired as she sat back in her seat and rummaged through her own bag. "You can share some of ours."

"Thanks, but Marlene sent me with my own." And so Ellie pulled out a freshly baked sandwich as Joel and Tess chewed on their jerky.

With nothing but medical supplies, Ellie offered half her sandwich to Y/n. An offer of which she had accepted with much gratitude. "Is that chicken?" Tess thought aloud as the two savoured the food.

Ellie nodded, "Yeah." She seemed to look back at her sandwich to analyse it, "Marlene says she gets it from smugglers." Her eyes then jumped to the pair and her expression tightened. "Guess not you guys."

Her words only seemed to spark Tess as she stood from the chair, walking toward the two. In an act to combat whatever was about to follow, Y/n stood too. But Tess didn't look to Y/n, she just looked down at Ellie. "Why are you so important? And don't lie to me or we'll take you back." She threatened, shoving her hands into her pockets.

Not that such threat seemed to have any effect on the young girl. "You take me back, you don't get your battery."

"You heard that?"

Y/n glanced over at Joel as she reminded him once again, "I did warn you." Ellie may be young, but she was smart and definitely disliked the idea of not being in the know.

"Well then, you must have also heard that he wants to shoot you." Tess nodded her head back to the older man who didn't seem to break at such. Tess crouched down and Ellie nudged back a little, "I'm gonna talk to you like you're an adult, okay? Joel and I aren't good people like your nice doctor over here." Y/n stiffened, unsure as to where Tess was going with this lecture of her's. "We're doing this for us because apparently, you're worth something. But we don't know what you're worth if we don't know what we have. So, one of you is gonna answer my question."

The two looked to each other. Both as uncertain as each other. But Tess certainly wasn't one to give in. "She told us not to tell anybody..." Ellie whispered to herself, shaking her head.

To save the girl the torture of going against Marlene's orders, Y/n admitted it all instead. "I told Marlene about some doctors out West. They always had better supplies and lab environments than we did." She paused but Tess could read on her face there was more coming. Y/n just knew the reaction which was sure to follow. "They were able to start working on a cure-"

And that one. Just that one, four-letter word, ensured a reaction always. Whether positive and hopeful, or in the case of Joel Miller, pessimistic and dismissive. The second the word left Y/n's lips, a scoff came from his. "I've heard this before." His eyes were drawn on Y/n, referring to something only the two of them could recount.

"What happened to me-" Ellie went to start, but her words were cut short.

"Is the key to finding the cure." Joel finished for her. "That's what this? We've heard this a million times before. Vaccines. Miracle cures. None of it works." He stopped and his gaze met Y/n's again, practically stepping on that hope of hers until it faded into nothing. "Ever." He emphasised.

Ellie stood, abruptly. Even though she was much smaller, she had no trouble standing up to Joel. "Fuck you." She snapped. "I didn't ask for this."

"You and me both!"

Y/n stepped forward before the anger in the room could drown out the logic. "Look, I get that for the longest time, I had to have enough hope for the both of us. And yeah, some of it was bullshit and some of it was just a dead end. But this." She pointed back at Ellie. "This is real. And it's right in fucking front of you and you still deny it." The woman paused, suddenly aware of how close she was to Joel, how freely she was speaking and how intertwined it seemed their eyes were. So she gazed back at Tess too, "Both of you." She added, in hopes of covering up her mistake.

No one spoke. Not at first. It seemed everyone took a breath, everyone took a moment to fucking think for once instead of letting emotions guide them any which way. Y/n was awaiting their denial once more, their plans of killing Ellie or taking her back. Plans of which she knew she couldn't argue against anymore. She may be a genius, but there was no way she could protect the girl from those who held the guns and the muscle and the lack of morality when it came to hurting a young girl.

"Let's finish it." Y/n jolted around, staring at Tess in utter disbelief. A part of Y/n was convinced she had heard it wrong. "It doesn't matter if she is or isn't what the fireflies say. If they believe that she is, then we get what we want." And, in way, so did everyone else.

Joel looked between Tess, Ellie and Y/n. But he gave in, "If she so much as twitches-"

Ellie lacking such understanding of bad timing, decided it would be a good idea to do just that. Her shoulders tensed and she mustered out some croaky noises, somewhat resembling an infected. Y/n snapped her head to her, and in the most scolding mother voice she could gather, she said, "Ellie." It was a warning and a warning she listened to as she relaxed and the noises stopped.

Her head dropped and Y/n could have sworn she heard a, "Sorry." In her mumbles somewhere.

Y/n looked between Joel and Tess, brows raised as she asked, "Happy?"

It took them a moment, but Tess nodded, "Yeah."

"Then lets go."

They each disbanded, grabbing their individual bags, Joel making sure to grasp the rifle too. "Can I have a gun?" A voice queried behind Y/n.

In sync, there came multiple responses.

"Absolutely not."

"No!"

"Not happening."

All of which had done well to send Ellie a certain message. "Okay! Jesus!" She mumbled. "I'll just throw a fucking sandwich at them."

With that, they headed for the door. Everything they needed hung on their backs and once they left the room, security left them too.

They came out into the midst of fallen, rotting buildings, masked by the leaves which had littered the forgotten city. Y/n glanced back at Ellie, one hand on a bag strap as a smile came to her lips due to the amazement that fell to Ellie's expression. Y/n couldn't lie, despite all it's ugliness, there were parts of this new world that were natural in their beauty.

"Woah," Muttered Ellie as her feet dragged forward.

The other two gave the girl a look, peering between her utter stupefaction and the view settled in front of them. "Looks better in the daylight, huh?" Tess voiced.

Y/n nudged the young girl's shoulder, "Better than school?" She raised a brow.

Ellie took one last, long look at what was in front of her before nodding. "Definitely."

"We should get moving." Joel suggested. His stares around the city weren't in awe, but instead, they were stares of observation, of making sure there wasn't something lurking around the corner waiting to jump them all.

But they did as he said. Tess led the way, weaving through what was left of pavement and roads. "It's like a fucked up moon." Ellie said, bringing their gaze to the not-so-pretty part of the city. The gigantic creator hole in the middle of the road was certainly an eye-sore. "Is this where they bombed?" She questioned.

"Yeah." Tess answered as they slowed, all taking a peer over the hole. Well except, for Joel, who had just continued walking. "They hit most big cities like this. They had to slow the spread somehow." Y/n's gaze jumped back to Joel, various thoughts passed her mind. Various thoughts she didn't have the courage to voice. So rather, she started walking too. "Worked here. But it didn't in most places."

Not much further passed the hole, they came to the dead end. Two skyscrapers which had fallen in together, blocking the rest of the road. "Statehouse is across there." Y/n informed, slowly taking a glance at Tess who was already looking at her with her brows furrowed.

"Ten-minute walk if we go straight." The woman added. "If we could go straight."

"So?" Urged Ellie.

And for what seemed like the first time in the last twenty minutes, Joel added to the conversation, "Long way or short way?"

Tess tilted her head, "I mean, it's the long or the we're fucking dead way." No need to put it lightly.

"Well, I vote long way just based on that limited information." Ellie uttered.

Y/n nodded, "Looks like we all agree on something." She paused and glanced at Joel who was still silent. Though, his silence had been assumed agreement. "First time for everything."

"We have to check it from the hotel first." He planned. So it was the hotel they headed to.

Getting to the hotel meant going on the freeway. It was still littered with several cars. Many of which were nothing but junk now as they each slithered through them. Tess was still leading the way, Ellie now at her side, badgering the woman with questions. Y/n wouldn't have any complaints about such, apart from the fact that it then left her with Joel.

The two weren't side by side. Not really, close, but not side by side. They were silent. Any movements, any noise that came from either of them echoed. It was practically torture. And it didn't end until Joel finally spoke up. "Since when did you start working with the fireflies?"

There was an uncertainty to his voice. When Y/n glanced to him, there was an uncertainty in his pupils too. "I never had anything against them. If anything, I think a whole load of things would work better if we all actually worked together." She explained.

A scoff left the comfort of his lips, "And you really think that'll happen?"

Y/n kept walking, her gaze dropping to the ground, "I have hope, Joel, but I'm not delusional."

That seemed to prompt Ellie as she turned back around, walking backwards a little as a grin tugged at her lips. "Jurys still out on that one!" She giggled.

"Eyes forward you." Y/n instructed. "You don't wanna break your hand too, do you?" That seemed enough to urge the girl back around as she continued walking by Tess' side.

The pair seeped back into silence. Y/n's eyes were trained on the young girl in front of her, while Joel's kept stealing glances. It was as if they were learning new boundaries. Before now, their break up meant avoidance; couldn't avoid the woman who was living and surviving at his side now. For the first time in a long time, Y/n and Joel's goal matched. Sure, their motives for such goals were different, but it was a step.

"What happens when you go back?" Questioned Joel, breaking the suffocating quietness.

Her eyes met his, uncertain and wary. She shrugged, "I don't know." Her gaze drawn back to the road ahead. "I don't know if I can even go back." Y/n was sure there would be questions. Ones of which she probably couldn't answer, not without certain consequences.

"So what?" Joel pushed. "You've got to live somewhere."

"I know." A sigh left her lips. Between running away from that soldier and trying to survive, Y/n's future wasn't something her brain had the time to think about. "I think maybe- maybe I'll just stick by the kid."

Ellie was still stuck close by Tess' side, deep in a conversation. "I might be wrong here, but surely the certified genius should have a better role than the babysitter?" Y/n peered over at Joel and his raised brows.

"The certified genius isn't just babysitting, but protecting one of the best shots at the cure." She defended. And, as always, that word sparked a scoff from the man. "I'll be alright." Y/n said as if he must have been worried about her.

"Good." He uttered before nodding to the teenager walking in front. "She's gonna need you."

And without thinking, Y/n replied, "And you." When the words slipped from her lips, her eyes jolted to him. In a scramble to recover her slip-up, she went on, "I mean, I can fix broken bones, disease, whatever, but I'm a bit shitty at aiming a gun." Joel nodded as realisation sunk in. Though, he never replied. They didn't look back at one another, didn't say anything and instead, basked in the overwhelming silence.

Luckily enough, the silence didn't last for a prolonged time as they soon came up to the hotel.

Similar to the city, the structure of the building was still there. It was like a skeleton, with some lingering memories of what life used to be like: tables, chairs, even wine glasses still occupied parts of the hotel. But the main spectacle of this skeleton was the lobby. The lobby which was now more of a makeshift pond. A piano stuck in the middle of it, a reception desk which was surprisingly still standing and decaying walls.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Ellie exclaimed with excitement as she scanned over the view. She glanced over at Y/n, a glint of interest in her pupils. "You ever stay in a place like this?"

A grin tugged at her lips and she shrugged, "Without the pond? Sure." Her old job, before the outbreak, had been one of travel and some fancy hotels. Fancy hotels with marshmallow mattresses that were a forgotten memory by now.

"How do you even know what this is?" Joel inquired.

"Have you heard of books?" That response left the man in a scowl, listing the many reasons as to why he still wanted to shoot the young girl. With that brewing, he started walking down the stairs which led into the green pond. "Wait- are we-" She turned to look at Y/n as if she didn't quite believe it. "Are we going in there?"

"Unless you see another way across." The doctor answered before following in Joels footsteps. Neither of them made it close to the pond before Ellie spoke up again.

"There's a stairwell on the other side we need to get to." Tess added as she too started to wander towards the stairs.

But Ellie still firm in her stance. "I- I don't know how to swim."

They are looked back at her if she had just loss several brain cells in one go. "Seriously?" Joel critiqued.

Ellie was still lost at what the man was getting at. So she continued to defend herself, "You think we have pools in the QZ?"

Joel only needed to jump off from the final step, his shoes thudding against the floor. The water reached up to his knees at best. It was only then did Ellie realise, muttering, "I don't know how I was meant to know that." And then she joined the rest of them in walking towards the end of the room.

Y/n shifted through the water, weaving her way through the odd bug and patches of grass which had grown atop the pond. She looked back as she noted the water splashing behind her, checking that Ellie was in fact still alfoat. "You alright?"

The young girl's head was frantically turning from place to place. "This is so gross." She noted with a strange glea in her tone that no one else seemed to understand. Joel and Y/n were almost at the other side when Ellie shouted, "Oh, check it out!"

They turned, Joel huffing as they did so, finding Ellie by a golden trolly and the reception desk. She leaned over, pressing the bell repeatedly adding her own sounds, "Ding-ding!" She sung. Then she straighted her back and pushed out her chest as her impression went on. "Yes sir I would like your finest suite, please." And then in a lower, harsher tone, she went on, "Yes Ms Y/l/n. Like me to take your luggage?" Ellie continued by pushing the trolly forward. "Ah, thank you, yes most appreciated." Said in the squeaky tone.

Y/n had been watching with nothing but a smile, catching the girl's gaze. "That's not what I sound like."

She kept pushing the trolley, "I think it was a good impression personally."

"You're such a weird kid." Said the man next to Y/n.

At which, Ellie's glea faded and she stiffened, "You're a weird kid." She combated. And Y/n looked away for a moment, to get a glimpse of Joel. Which was when, "Oh, fuck!"

She was already moving before she had realised what was wrong. It was only when the woman turned the corner, her eyes settled on the bones that floated in the water alongside Ellie. Y/n reached out a hand that Ellie took, walking around the dead body. "Are you okay?" The question was stern and concerned.

Something which only calmed when she answered, "Yeah, yeah."

Y/n's worrisome eyes flickered to Joel, "Lets get going." They joined back with Tess and finally made it across the pond and towards the stairwell.

They climbed up towards the tenth floor where they would be able to see if this path they wanted to take would be clear or not. Joel got to the top first, Y/n by his side, Ellie lingering right behind her and Tess scurrying to keep up. The man slowed, peeking around the corner until he entered the tenth floor.

Once he deemed it safe, he started walking, Y/n following after him. "Fuck." Complained Tess once she finally made it out, a sigh stuck in her breaths.

She leant against the wall for a moment as Ellie passed her, "Oh, come on," Ellie practically sung in return. "It wasn't that bad."

"You try climbing ten fucking floors with our knees. See how you feel." The woman snapped in return.

There came no reply from the young girl as they wandered through the hallway. Joel seemed certain of the way. Well, that was right before they turned once basic corner and were met with a dead end that wasn't expected. "Well when the fuck did that happen?" Tess thought aloud.

They each stared at the many rocks which had fallen in through the floor above, crashing ontop of another and making it impossible for them all to pass. "Try the doors maybe?" Y/n suggested, twisting the door nobs and finding them locked; they were suddenly left with few options.

Tess walked forward, eyeing the rocks like they were a puzzle. "Alright, well, maybe I could climb up there, work my way around, open it up from the inside." She planned, not so certain in herself.

"Doesn't sound very safe." Y/n commented under her breath.

At which, the other woman chuckled, turning to face her. "Since when did you give a fuck about my safety?"

Y/n chose not to answer that. "What about me?" Asked the voice at the side of Y/n. "I am the smallest, surely I should go-"

"Not happening." Y/n interjected before she could take it any further.

"She's right." Uttered Tess. "You go up there, you die, we get nothing." Then her eyes were pulled to the doctor and a mischievous smile rose to her lips. "But, prestige here, I'm sure you wouldn't mind helping, right? Gonna need someone to help me move the rocks."

Y/n knew that there was no refusing this. Tess was already walking over, Joel holding his palm out as he lifted her up. Which left the doctor glaring at what was awaiting her. "Oh come on, it's a few rocks. It's nothing compared to some of the infected."

With that, the girl huffed, stepping onto Joel's non-wounded palm as he pushed her up onto the rocks too. As if in an instant, the feeling of captivation consumed her. The rocks were at every turn, suffocating her. And all she had to keep her sane was Tess. "It's a mess up here!" She called back. "We're gonna need a few minutes."

And so Tess started dissecting the rocks she wanted to move, the ones she wanted to stay and then ordered Y/n to help. "Here, this side." She gestured to one of the larger rocks.

Y/n hovered her hands over it, not daring to break the path Tess had created so far. "Like this?" Tess nodded. They each grabbed either side and started pushing until it fell. A few small pebbles fell with it but nothing to drastic.

With that moved, it made a way for them to jump down. Tess shimmied through first, grunting and huffing as she fit her body through the hole they had created. Y/n would have followed straight after if her ears hadn't pricked at the sound of name. "You know Y/n says you're just old friends." Came Ellie's voice.

The woman looked back. She had only moved a couple of meters away and well, Ellie's voice had a tendency to echo. "What do you care about it?" Responded Joel in his usual stern tone.

"Because Y/n's is shit liar, that's why." There came a pause. Y/n glanced back to Tess who was still slowly working her way down. "So what were you really?" Another pause in which Joel seemed to refuse to answer. "You were like together weren't you?"

"Pass."

"So that's a yes?"

"No!"

Y/n knew her eavesdropping was likely wrong, but she couldn't help but feel curious about how her ex-boyfriend was dealing with this situation. "What happened?" Asked Ellie, clearly having no idea about boundaries.

Again, Joel replied, "Pass."

"Are you with Tess now?"

"Pass."

"Do you not wanna be with Tess because you're still in love with Y/n?"

"Hey, Prestige!" Another, thrid voice, snapped her from listening in. Y/n turned back to face Tess who now had both feet planted on the wall. Though, by the looks of things, she hadn't heard any of what Y/n had. Or she was just really good at hiding it. "You need some help down, or?"

Y/n was already shuffling to the edge, mumbling, "No." She did the same as Tess, shifting and moving until she was able to dangle from the rocks, jumping as her feet thudded against the floor. "Least we didn't die." Y/n shrugged, but the other woman was already walking around.

"Come on," She urged.

They didn't get far before they had to stop once again. The two emerged into the balcony, the muffled, distant sound of groans met them instantly. "Is that-?" Y/n already knew the probable answer.

"I think so." Tess muttered before the two wandered to the edge. They leaned over slightly, consuming the sight below. Hundreds over them, tossing and turning as they fought to spread their rancid disease.

"Shit." One word which captured all thoughts and feelings in that moment. Y/n shook her head, parting from the wall as she turned, finding her gaze settled on a door. A door which likely led to the hallway. "Here," Y/n instructed, urging Tess to follow her as they left the balcony.

The girl dragged herself along as they headed for the room which would lead to the pair inside it. They took one step into that room when the occupants on the other side jolted. Their footsteps heavy and the sound of something familiarly metallic rattled. "You can put the gun down, Joel!" Tess yelled before unlocking the door.

None of their expressions matched. And Joel could tell within one moment, within one look, something wasn't right. "What is it?"

Tess and Y/n simply looked back at one another, a daunting sense growing between them. They chose it not wise to explain. Instead, they led the way back out to the balcony where that view was awaiting Joel and Ellie. "There's so many." That was one way to describe it, definitely.

"Last time we were here, they were still deep inside the buildings." Tess informed.

Y/n glanced over, "Guess this means long way is out the window too?" Maybe that was already assumed.

"Which way do we go then?" Questioned Ellie with concerned pupils.

The adults all looked to one another. But it was Joel who came up with the suggestion: "Museum."

A new plan set in. They went back down the ten stories and wandered the haunting streets to find this new building. And this one would hopefully reveal a safe path for them to get to the Statehouse. It was similar to the rest of the city. The museum was tangled in leaves as newly grown trees comforted the walls on either side. But the more concerning decor of the museum was the fungi that infected the stairs, travelling onto the pavement and right into the door.

They all huffed at the sight, stopping right before their feet dared to brush against such fungi. "You've got to be fucking kidding me." Complained Ellie.

Tess pointed to the roof of the building, "There's a way across from the top floor."

"Well, then I guess it's fine." Ellie quipped in response, her tone dripping in sarcasm.

"Better than hundreds of infected." Y/n commented before looking over Ellie to Tess, raising a brow, "Right?" The expression Tess gave in return was lacking any slither of hope.

"We used to take it all the time." She tried to offer some assurance, but with that look on her face, it truly wasn't working. "It used to be fine." Emphasis on 'used to'.

Even a scoff came from the youngest girl, "Awesome."

Joel walked out in front of them all, getting the closest to the fungi. He leaned down slowly as he stared at it like he was expecting something. His fingers placed some pressure against it. Nothing. So he took his rifle by the wrong end, plummeting the blunt end into the fungi. It crunched as ash splurted out. And with that, his answers were gained, and Joel stood. "It's bone dry." He informed. "It could mean they're all finally dead in there."

Y/n peered over at the man, "Could?" It didn't fill her with great security.

"It's our best bet." Tess uttered. Like that, they seemed to collectively and rather silently, decide this was what they were going with. Tess and Joel shrugged off their bags, grasping a torch each, along with Tess grabbing her own gun.

Joel was holding up his torch as he looked to the two other girls who were still stood mindlessly, "Marlene pack you one of these or just sandwiches?"

Ellie nodded, reaching for her bag. "Yeah." She mumbled before pulling out her own.

It seemed it was only Y/n who lacked her own source of light. But what she did have was still tucked into the waistband of her jeans. Her hands reached around her back, pulling out the pistol Marlene had lent her. "You don't have one?" Joel was the first to observe.

Quietly, the girl shook her head. "Alright," Said Tess as she stood to her feet. "Then you don't go anywhere without one of us."

"Wasn't planning to, don't worry." She replied.

Tess then looked over at Ellie, "And if we come up against anything, you get behind us." She instructed.

She nodded sternly, "Yes." And with that, they faced the museum that seemed to tower over them. Tess grasped her pistol with one hand, the torch with the other, prompting Ellie as she pointed out, "I have a spare hand."

"Congratulations." Joel took the lead on this one, walking to the double doors as the other three trailed behind him. He dipped his head through, scanning to then look back and give that expression of 'it's clear' before stepping through.

They switched on their torches and wandered through. Maybe it was the darkness, but Y/n noted how much she had preferred the hotel. This place, it was a simple mess. If it weren't the fungi, you were stepping over past relics which once would have been bought for millions. And now, they were just a part of rubbish that would likely never be cleared out.

Each of them kept their eyes straight and their feet light as they crept into the several rooms which led to the stairs. Joel's torch lit the other side of the wall where the fungus seemed most prominent, with a body wrapped between it. "Yeah, cooked." Said Joel.

"Oh, finally." Tess responded from behind Y/n. "Some fucking luck." Though, they all doubted that luck would last long.

"I guess we should have gone his way in the first place." The man continued, following the fungus.

They were turning the corner when, "Oh, shit!" Y/n's eyes snapped to Ellie and then the blood-soaked, lifeless corpse which was lent up against the wall. Joel and Tess soon followed as they all gathered around this body. "What the fuck did that?"

That wasn't the question that they needed answering. "How do we know it's not still in here?" Y/n spoke, her voice suddenly lowering at the thought of the creatures which could still be roaming.

"Maybe he was attacked outside." Tess assumed. "Crawled through the doors. The door was open. I don't hear anything."

"Who would you hear?" Asked Ellie, much louder than the rest of them now. At that, they all jolted, firm in their glares as they silently told her to shut the fuck up. So then her voice lowered, and in a whisper, she repeated, "Who would you hear? Are you saying an infected did that?" Y/n's pupils boiled with a concerning terror as she shushed Ellie. Not that it had stopped the young girl. "Because I've been attacked by one and it wasn't like that."

"Okay from this point forward we are silent." Joel's gaze was mainly directed at Ellie, but he sent glances to both Tess and Y/n as he went on. "Not quiet. Silent." His breath was raspy with his hushed tone, his stare in itself threatening.

"Wha-"

He didn't let Ellie finish her breath, "No. No questions." He told her. "Just do it." Ellie may not have been happy about having to shut up, but it was that or further risking their safety.

Joel started walking first, weaving through the rooms, bodies and fungus as they followed. Y/n's grip on her pistol tightened in anticipation, her paced breaths soon becoming uneven as they took the first step to the next floor. As silent as possible, they proceeded up the grand stairs. Joel was only two steps from the second floor before the roof rumbled above him. A few pebbles dripped down, followed by ash and a grumbling noise which filled the space.

Each of them stood completely still. Each of them held their breath. Once, and only once, did the grumbling noise stop did Joel continue, climbing up to the second floor and continuing towards the third and final one. Though it was here where the bodies piled high - as did the fungi. Suddenly, it seemed impossible to step over it all. But Joel took his chances and Y/n found herself analysing his every step so she could make the same ones.

She had been hoping that Ellie, the young girl behind her, was doing the same. But as they reached their fifth step, a crunch erupted. Her and Joel tensed, snapping back around to the girl who looked ever so sheepish. While Joel wore a scowl, Y/n had a moulding sympathetic look on her face, which could simply read: it's okay. Even if, maybe it wasn't so.

When nothing seemed to jump up out at them, Joel continued up the stairs. Luckily, they made it to the top without any more stepping on the fungus, or making any harsh sounds. Joel slowly pushed the double doors open. They creaked and cracked before revealing the dusty room on the other side. Like the rest of the museum, it was filled with relics. But most of them seemed intact. Suppose not many infected made it this far up.

As they each wandered through, rumble started falling from the roof above. Until a large thud was heard and it must have finally caved in. Y/n jumped for Ellie, pulling her forward as Tess slid onto the floor to avoid any of the littering rocks attacking her. It was loud. Loud enough that anything outside of the museum was likely to have heard it. And as Y/n glanced away from Ellie, she found they were barricaded in.

"Everyone okay?" She whispered. There was no bother in being silent now that had just fallen, she had thought.

Ellie caught up with her breath as she responded, "Great."

Y/n looked to Tess who was sitting back up. The woman nodded. It was once they stood to their feet, when terror kicked it. Somewhere, from someplace on the floor they were now trapped it, there came the ever familiar shriek which echoed against the walls. One was in here with them. One was here, one of which they couldn't see and they had just lost their exit.

Y/n's arm reached over, hovering over Ellie's stomach, slowly gesturing for the girl to get behind her. Her gun rose, her knuckles turning white with how tight her grip had become. The infected kept screeching as they manoeuvred their way around. They watched as through a doorway, one of them made their way into the room. They dragged themselves over as the group slowly moved backwards as silent as they had been.

It seemed fine until another screech from another part of the museum alerted them. They jolted around to another doorway. There were two of them. The other crawled through the doorway and they moved back away from it again. Suddenly, they were cornered. Their backs hit the glass of a showcase box as they watched the two infected roam the floor.

Each of them listened closely as it travelled across the other side of the glass. It's grunts were haunting as it filled the very silence the group fought to keep. It rushed across from the glass. It was right in front of them. A moment passed in which they didn't know whether it was going to spot them. Maybe one of them had let out a breath too loud or shuffled their feet too much but it knew and it roared at them all.

Joel moved first, pulling the trigger on his gun as the creature tumbled backwards, away from Ellie. "Run!" He screamed.

Tess grasped Ellie's jacket as they stumbled the other way. Y/n found most of it a blurred as she worked out what to do. She saw the two girls face the second infected. And then gun shots followed. Y/n made the assumption that Tess would keep Ellie safe as she turned, facing Joel's back as he fought single handedly against the other infected. Which, within one glance, Y/n could tell he was losing.

The woman raised her pistol, shooting a few times at the monster before it faced her. She circled around it as it stumbled closer to her. That gave Joel the chance to get one bullet in the back of it's head, securing that it slowed down. But it was still alive, still clinging on, still fighting to kill them. "Go!" Joel ordered. Not loudly at all, but stern, very stern.

Y/n did so. She went one way, Joel went the other. A few steps into a hallway and suddenly she became remind of the warning Tess had given her. Don't go anywhere without someone else. The darkness was all around her. She was quiet on her feet as she wove through the narrow hallway to find somewhere with natural light that could guide her. All while trying to listen out for the dying infected.

She heard a gun shot not too far away, followed by the sound of glass shattering. She couldn't work out whether that was Joel, the infected, or Ellie and Tess. But still, she swirled, trying to make out the shadows as she wandered into the next room where there was a window. A wave of relief passed. Though, it hadn't lasted long.

Y/n's whole body jolted at the feeling of touch on her skin. Something, someone, pulled her back. One hand around her back, the other covering the gasp she had been sure to let out. Silence followed and she settled, connecting the feeling to Joel. Y/n's gaze was drawn up at him as he still wore that stern expression. The screeches erupted from behind them. And Y/n realised that was the reason as to why Joel had grabbed her.

Delicately, Joel lowered his hand from her mouth and Y/n didn't stop him. It glided along her waist until reaching her hand. There, his palm slipped over her's, taking a grasp of the pistol. His other hand slid around her waist. And with both arms seeming to cup her body, he reloaded the pistol. Once finished, the two looked to each, ever so close yet that didn't seem to faze them.

Joel nodded, silently saying it was time to move. Y/n leaned around the glass cage that they were hidden behind, finding herself stiff when the infected was only a few feet away. She didn't make a noise. And so, it carried on, without attacking her or Joel. The girl returned back around and looked to Joel for their next move.

She first felt his touch leave her, though he still held the pistol. The man crouched down and started to head towards the further part of the room. Not wanting to be left alone again, Y/n trailed on after him. A few steps in and Ellie came into view. She was hidden behind a display case, right where the infected was about to walk around. Joel and Y/n joined her and nodded their heads for the girl to follow them.

They tiptoed around the display case as to avoid the infected. Slow and steady. So close they had almost reached it but Joel hadn't been watching his feet enough. His toes crunched against some lingering shards of glass. While it wasn't a bang or a gun shot, it was enough. In an instant, they were on their feet. Y/n was able to get ahold of Ellie but Joel tumbled to the floor. The infected hovered over him and it seemed as if he was dead already.

The woman grasped the largest piece of glass she could. It slipped against her palm, slicing her hand first in her act of panic. But, she was far to terroised to take note. Instead, she leaned forward, pushing the sharpest point of the glass into the back of the infected's head. It slowed and gave Joel enough time to recover the pistol he had taken and reloaded. With that in his grasp, his finger tip didn't leave the trigger. Not until it was lifeless. Not until there were no bullet left.

Soon enough, the creature fell and the three scurried backwards. Ellie was tightly protected in Y/n's hands as Joel stood in front, right over the body.

Their moment of peace hadn't lasted long.

Another piercing shriek boomed through the room. They all turned. Defenceless. The second infected was running right for them and they had nothing. Well, they had Tess. The woman rushed through a space between the displays, shoving a 14th-century axe right into the infected's neck.

It hadn't killed it but it had stopped it. The creature waved it's arms around, willing to grab one of them as it croaked out. Joel was the one to move. He took ahold of the rifle he had once lost, aimed and shot. And he didn't stop until it was on the floor.

A long moment passed. Everyone caught up with their breaths and several shared glances were given. Until, in a huff, Y/n spoke up, "Is it over?" Her weary eyes looked around, looking to each of them.

"I fucking hope so." Snapped Ellie, loud enough that, if there were any more infected, it would have come after them by now.

"You all right?" Joel asked Tess who had just limped back up to her feet.

The woman nodded but it was stiff like she wasn't so lucky to be alive. "Twisted ankle, but yeah." Her gaze then jumped to Y/n. Specifically her hand. "What about you? That looks nasty."

Y/n hadn't even realised. Maybe it was the panic, maybe it was the radiating pain, but the harsh cut across the centre of her palm had gone unnoticed until now. It was gushing red. So much so, it seemed to have tinted her skin, pooling over her shirt and jacket. "Shit." She muttered before swinging her bag over and grabbing some cloth.

"You alright?" Tess repeated. This time, to Ellie.

"Well, I didn't shit my pants so." She shrugged off as Y/n wrapped her bleeding palm in the cloth. A sharp inhale left her lips at the sting of the feeling. One of which didn't start easing off until she tied the cloth together, putting her supplies back in her bag.

By the time she had looked over, Ellie's jacket was rolled up, showcasing the bite from the infected. "Shit!" She said again, this time harsher and louder.

"You fucking kidding me?" Ellie swore. "I mean, if it was gonna happen to one of us..."

Suppose she made a point. "Hey," Tess spoke up as they all glanced to her. "Lets get the fuck out of here." That they could all agree with.

They were led towards one of the back windows. Joel pulled it up, slipping through first and holding it up for the other to walk through. "Thanks," Y/n uttered as she stepped onto the roof, her eyes drawn to the view set in front of her.

Ellie proceeded behind the girl, rushing next to her side to catch the view for herself. Though, Y/n turned right back around at the sound of grunting and the words, "Oh, fuck." Tess, while she may have gotten through the window, was struggling.

Her ankle had forced her to sit as Joel joined her. "I can help." The girl offered. Well, it wasn't much of an offer, more of a warning that she was about to help.

Though, such was still declined, as Joel hovered his hand out. "No, no, it's alright. I've got it." He said and the woman shut her lips. "Just give me some of that tape would you?"

Y/n nodded but said nothing. She rummaged from her bag and retrieved the tape, passing it over with a stare caught between the two. Maybe it was wrong to, but she thought back to them questions Ellie was asking Joel earlier at the hotel. Maybe such questions were echoing in her mind also.

"Over there?" Ellie inquired from behind them all. Y/n was the one turn, searching for an excuse to look away.

She was pointing to the building across from this one. The one connected by a long piece of wood. "Yeah, I know it looks scary." Answered Joel.

Ellie was already stepping onto it as she replied, "That was scary, this is wood." And without a flicker of a worry she walked across. She turned when she reached the other building, a grin spread over lips as she looked to the doctor. "You coming?"

Y/n had to look back first. Look back to the man who was patching up Tess like he probably had done a million times before. Then she flashed a smile, one forced and tricky to uphold. "Yeah." She yelled back, tiptoeing across just as Ellie had.

At this new building, she couldn't hear the conversation happening between the couple. She could only watch Joel's sincere, worrisome expression as he ever so carefully taped up that broken ankle. For a moment, and Y/n swore to herself that it was only a moment, a flicker of a memory washed through her mind. A flicker of a memory which urged on feelings of regret.

"Oh. My. God." Said Ellie, snapping the woman out of her thoughts. She jumped back around to the girl who was smiling a devilish smile. "You're in love with him too." She stated as if it were fact.

"What-?" Y/n cut herself off, eyeing the couple once more. "I've got no idea what you're getting at Ellie."

"Yes you do." She argued as Y/n walked passed her. Not that such had stopped the young girl from trailing behind. "You know exactly what I'm getting at! So I was right? You and Joel were together?"

Y/n stopped and turned around, "Well we're not anymore so what does it matter?"

"Because you both obviously still want each other."

That was something she had scoffed out. They didn't spend years avoiding each other because there was still love there. No, they avoided each because- well, because that was what you were supposed to do after a break up. "Ellie, we don't."

"I think you need a new pair of eyes." She giggled at the idea and Y/n knew this wouldn't be the last time she heard about it.

Y/n moved passed Ellie, towards the other end of the building where a view stared back at them. The rest of the city. Still decaying and covered in speckles of green, but as Y/n had gathered, it was nice to see something of natural beauty growing again.

Her gaze hadn't moved when she felt Ellie join her side. But when another figure wandered up, coming to her other side, her eyes did jump. "Is it everything you hoped for?" Joel asked. His eyes weren't on Y/n, they weren't on Ellie, they were settled on what was in front of him and what awaited him.

Ellie shrugged, "Jurys still out." She said and Y/n chose it best to tear her gaze away from Joel before he cared to notice. "But, man, you can't deny that view."

"Think it's even prettier without all the skyscrapers and road rage." Y/n thought aloud. And, as if roles had just be revered, Joel was the one staring at her as she glazed off into the distance.

The man thought about giving something in response, but that idea was broken when another voice came. "Come on, let's get there before dark." Tess prompted, breaking them from their captivated views.

The other woman gave not a second to take in the view. As if a switch had been pulled, Tess was suddenly in full survival mode, not wanting to waste a moment they had. She went down the ladder first and no matter how delicately she placed her footings, it still urged groans of pain. The other three didn't dare comment. Instead, Y/n gently pushed Ellie forward as they all trailed down the ladder too.

Tess was right about wanting to get there before dark. Even with her ankle and the pain Y/n was certain was plaguing her, she led the group, fast in her pace. It took half the time to get to the StateHouse than it usually did. But even in that short space of time, Y/n wandered to herself about this change in mood. Prior to this, she was walking at the side of Ellie, bouncing back and fourth, explaining with great enthusiasm what the world used to be like. And now it seemed she was burdened with apathy.

Y/n was towards the back of the line, though she rushed forward slightly to reach Joel. And ever so quietly, she whispered over to him, "She normally like this?"

Joel looked back with knitted brows, "Like what?"

The doctor huffed and checked off the several attributes she knew all too well: "More irritable than usual? Desperate?" She spoke carefully as she always did. Beating around the idea rather than giving it directly to him on a plate.

But Joel was used to Y/n's careful words and could see right through it. "She's not infected, Y/n." He uttered, stern in his expression that it made Y/n regret saying anything.

Yet, the girl still went on, "Just keep an eye on it, alright?" She told him. Without another second, she walked passed, joining Ellie's side.

Y/n wouldn't push it. Tess was Joel's friend and not hers. Maybe if more symptoms started showing, she might. But for now, she would keep quiet and keep her mind on the task at hand: get Ellie to safety. Which was right where they were. The state house seemed quiet. The only thing to suggest the other fireflies were here was the truck parked right outside.

The four of them crouched down by some rocks, keeping a watch on the doors and the truck. "Where the fuck are they?" Tess had queried, hushed in her tone.

Joel turned back to face her, lightly shaking his head. He took a long moment to think before he stood to his feet and started walking. The others stood but made no move to follow Joel. Instead, they watched. He slung the door to the truck open first, his rifle shaking in his grip, only to find nothing but blood-soaked metal.

Though, that seemed enough for the man to spin around, holding his hand out. "Keep back." He instructed before continuing on.

Even if they weren't the ones searching the truck, Tess and Y/n still equipped their weapons. They waited a few moments, hearing the sound of the back doors pull up. It was then that Tess nodded her head, "Come on." She said, going against what Joel had told them as they wandered around the back. "Joel?" She called. "What the fuck is going on?"

The back of the truck was empty. "I don't know." Answered the man. And while their focus was pulled to the truck, Y/n's dwindled. Her eyes were pulled to the stairs of the Statehouse, noting the splotches of red which littered the concrete.

"They went inside." Y/n informed as all eyes landed to her and then the blood.

She swirled around, facing their puzzled looks. Tess was the one to move first. She huffed and seemed to snap. "Come on." She ordered, hooking her palm around Ellie's wrist and dragging her into the state house. "Come on." She repeated.

"Tess!" Joel had yelled but the woman seemed to have no intent on stopping.

Y/n rushed up with them and without a second thought, raised her weapon. And much quieter than Joel, but much more threatening, there came the hushed order of, "Tess." The woman stiffened and slowed. She turned with glossy eyes that were mustered between feelings of fury. "Let Ellie go. We're all going to go in there but not until you take your hands off her."

It took Tess a moment before shoving Ellie out her grip. Y/n took the young girl into her hold, scanning her once over to make sure she was okay. "Lets go." Said Tess as she went on as if nothing had happened.

In that moment, Y/n met Joel's eyes, a sense of realisation seemed to have dawned on him.

The three followed Tess into the building and they all took sight of what was left. Bodies and blood and devastation. The fireflies had been taken out. "Holy shit." Cursed the young girl.

They wandered further into the building and more and more bodies emerged. It seemed as if there were no survivors. "I mean there's gonna be like a fucking radio or something." Tess rambled on aloud. She rummaged through the many boxes, scurrying through the supplies they had left.

I mean, not mentioning the bodies, this place would be a gold mine to smugglers like Tess and Joel. "Who killed them?" Y/n heard Ellie question. "FEDRA?"

"No." Joel had uttered and Y/n turned to watch as the man's boot spun one of the bodies over. "One of them got bit." And there, on the lifeless corpse was the remnants of the infected, yellow vines and a red rash surrounding it. "The healthy ones fought the sick ones. They all lost."

"God, Marlene's gonna lose it." Y/n thought, giving a scan over all the bodies once more.

"Tess!" Called Joel as he walked over to the woman. "What you doing?" She was still scavenging like her life depended on it.

Though, of course, Tess didn't give an answer to Joel. Rather, she walked right passed him to where Ellie and Y/n were roaming. "Where was Marlene taking her? Huh?"

"West." Y/n informed, tense at the very firm stance Tess was giving. "That's where the doctors are." As long as they weren't all dead either.

"That it? Just west? That all you fucking know?" Y/n had no chance to respond to her outburst as the woman turned her back and started wandering around the boxes once more. "Well one of them's gotta have a map on them right?" She leaned over one of the bodies. "Joel? Can you help me-"

"No!" The atmosphere chilled. "Tess, it's over." And it seemed they all knew that but her. He started walking over to her as she gazed up from the body. "We are going home."

"That's not my fucking home!"

Joel backed off and everything went silent. All that remained was the echo of Tess' screams. It took a second before the woman climbed to her feet, facing the man she had stuck by for years now. "I'm staying." She said with more depth than it needed. "I mean, our luck had to run out sooner or later."

Y/n had already been well in the know, Joel in denial but Ellie, well Ellie had only suddenly come to the same conclusion. "Fuck. She's infected."

Now, the atmosphere wasn't just chilly, but it was as cold as fucking ice. "Show me." Joel requested in such a gentle tone.

She took a cautious step forward, "Joel-"

He took a rapid step back. The woman's fingers gripped at her shirt, pulling it down to reveal the yellow vines and the red rash. "Oops right?" She let her hand go, covering the mark. "Guessing it's not something you can save me from, right, doc?"

Y/n swallowed and wondered if maybe it had happened later, if maybe they had understood Ellie's blood and her genes, maybe Tess would have had something, some hope. Tess' gaze jumped to Ellie, "Take your bandage off."

And so, the girl followed, rolling up her sleeve and showcasing her arm. Her perfectly healthy, perfectly normal arm. No yellow vines. No red rash. Tess walked over, taking a tender hold of Ellie's hand, "Look, this is real." She uttered, knowing this was apart of her last words. "Get her to Bill and Frank's." Joel had shook his head at that plan but Tess kept going. "They'll take her off your hands."

"No, no, no." The man repeated. "I can't. They're not gonna take her-"

"They will because you're gonna convince them." Joel was quiet again. "I never- never ask you for anything, not to feel the way I felt-"

He attempted to interject, "No-"

But Tess wasn't having it. "Shut the fuck up cause I don't have time." Which would have explained the rush she was in prior to now. "This is your chance. You and Y/n. You get her there. You keep her alive. And you set everything right. All the shit we did. Please say yes, Joel, please." She was a begging, dying woman and Joel looked as if he had no choice.

A grunt came from behind them as one of the bodies started moving. They jumped out from their sentiment as Ellie, screamed, "Oh, fuck!" Both her and Y/n rushed away from it as Joel stormed forward, pistol in hand, shooting the infected right between its eyes.

But with that gunshot, further noise erupted. Noise of which they couldn't bare to ignore. Grunts and groans which echoed from outside of the State house. Joel jogged over to the front doors, getting one glance of the outside to know what was coming for them. More were coming. "How many?" Asked Tess once Joel had started walking back again.

"All of them."

A scoff slipped from Y/n's lips, "Fucking great." Her panicked pupils met Joels, "How long?"

"Maybe a minute." He rushed to the centre of the building again, terror started to consume his thoughts.

But it was Tess who made the next move. She picked up the rifle of a dead man, popping the top off one of the barrels. Kicking it down, as gasoline pooled over the floor. "What are you doing?" Ellie inquired.

The woman continued onto each of them, "Making sure they don't follow you." She replied, kicking down another.

Once all the barrels were down and the smell became intoxicating, she threw over grenades. They scattered the floor as the murmers of the infected slowly got louder and louder. With that, she walked to Joel, looking up at him with only inches between them and she whispered, "Joel, save who you can save."

He seemed to hold eye contact with Tess for as long as he could. His eyes glossy when he broke and glanced over to where Y/n was stood, holding Ellie close to her chest. But he was looking at Y/n when he said, "Go."

And she listened to him. She tightened her grasp on Ellie as they stormed out of the Statehouse. The girl cried, "No! We're not leaving her!" She screamed but it seemed just empty words now. Joel was the one who had to make the decision and it certainly was never an easy one.

And they got as far away as they could. When the statehouse inflamed, they knew apart of the many bodies of infected, there was Tess. But there was no time to mourn in the midst of an apocalypse. All they could do was run.

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