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leonstoenailunderhisbed · 17 days

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First Date, Huh?

Summary: The human race is at danger of extinction. The government had come up with a plan to increase the level of population throughout the country that involved you and a very good looking man.

Warning: unprotected sex. oral (both receiving). creampie. slight degradation. overstimulation. male and female anatomy. afab reader. impregnating. breeding kink (kinda?) aftercare. mentions of medical procedures (I forgot what it was called lol). not proofread. wrote this right after my dream sooo…

Word Count: 5,155

A/N: I had a dream about this and I woke up thinking I was pregnant😭 (be safe out there y’all) anyways, I picked up far cry 5 again and I’m literally eating that game up

“Falling for a stranger, good gracious. I might even fly out to Vegas. I’m thinking maybe you’d be down to do it,” Love Talk (demo), WayV

The world population had been declining after the rise of a deadly disease. People died in groups and the government had tried to prevent the spread.

But their attempts were in vain.

Decades after the virus had finally been tamed. The world had been left with only one third of its population remaining. The economies across the countries crashed and people had to rebuild themselves slowly.

However, that all came to a halt when the government suddenly introduced a new bill.

They had planned for a procreating program. In which scientists were able to develop a new technology wavelength that can determine what person is more biologically compatible with another person.

The government had ordered people to come to the nearest available clinics in order for the scientists to collect a sample of their blood. Of your blood.

Months passed after the collection of blood and suddenly a group of soldiers, along with scientists, stormed inside the houses of people and marked them with bracelet bands.

The soldiers sedated everyone and transported them to an underground warehouse. The warehouse itself was an underground bunker with scientists roaming around in their lab coats.

The underground facility was huge- it could be considered an underground city if the president decided to. But he didn’t.

When you woke up, you noticed you were inside a room with white walls. The floor and ceiling were white. Even the lights were white. Everything was white, except for the red bed you were currently in.

They had laid you down on a bed full of pillows and blankets. Your eyes blurred as they adjusted to the lights of the room.

Sitting up, you’ve noticed- and probably felt- the presence of someone laying down next to you. You looked over at the person and noticed it was a man.

He was waking up as well. He had dirty blonde hair and looked to be tall and broad. His features were rough and masculine, with his stubble being noticeable under the harsh lighting. As you sat up, he slowly sat up as well and took in the environment. When both of you laid eyes on each other, you both let out a gasp and quickly got off the bed.

You quickly realized what either of you were wearing. They had changed you into a skimpy satin nightgown while he was wearing a silk pajama set that revealed his chest due to the V-line cut.

The intercom from the room turned on and a person spoke,

“Good morning to you two. I’m sure you’re both confused and scared but afraid be not. We’re ensuring your safety at this establishment. As you both can see, you’re both wearing the same color of wristbands.”

You looked down at your right wrist and saw the green wristband, your eyes trailed towards the man and his was also green.

“This means that both of you are biologically compatible. Our goal here is to not hurt you. We’re simply trying to bring back the population back to where it should be and we need your help.”

Your eyes widened and so did his. The man’s eyebrows pinched together as look of suspicion and anger appeared on his face. But he didn’t say anything.

“I’m sure you both know what this means. You have the remainder of the day to get started. We expect positive results since we’ve run extensive research on your genetics. That is all, get started.”

Essentially, they wanted you to have sex with a stranger. That’s revolting.

You turned your gaze back to the man, his blue eyes stood out from his features. Neither of you said anything. It was all too…awkward. You glanced at the bed and then back at him. How do you even start something so intimate?

“Um-“ you started quietly, “So…we’re compatible.”

The man simply stared at you and then back at his wrist. He nodded, “Yeah. Seems so.”

“Should I-“

“We don’t have to do anything,” he interrupted you, “What’re they going to do if we do nothing? They can’t kill us. Those mad scientists need as many people as possible and if they killed you or me then what’s the whole point of this?”

You sighed and nodded. He was right in a way. Even if you disobeyed they couldn’t kill you, right?

Sitting at the edge of the bed, you begin to wonder everything that has happened so far. They’re making everyone breeding machines- is what you thought.

Before all of this, you were living your life the way you wanted it. And now you were forced to have a baby with someone you don’t know. All for the sake of humanity.

It was cruel.

“What do we do instead?” You asked quietly.

“Find a way out of here,” he responded as he walked around the room and tried to find an exit. There was no door. No windows. Nothing. As if you two were put in a white box.

He was getting frustrated that he had been put in this position. He didn’t want any of this, not with you. It wasn’t personal but he didn’t know you.

“There’s no way out,” he spoke after some time. It didn’t take a genius to know that you two were locked in this space.

“Do they really want us to…” your voice trailed off as you stared at him. He looked back at you and shrugged, “Maybe. Those crazy bastards are probably stressing about the human race dying or whatever.”

After a moment of silence, you could smell something. Something that smelled good.

“Is that you?” He asked. He also smelled something.

“I was just about to ask if it was you too,” you replied.

He furrowed his brows and sat next to you. He leaned closer to your neck and inhaled softly.

“It’s the both of us,” he whispered. You stared into his eyes at the proximity.

What was happening?

Did the scientists do something? Why did he suddenly look more attractive and smelled enticing?

You leaned back and got up from the bed. Panic started to run through your veins. “Do you think-“

He raised a brow and sat in the edge of the bed as he watched you pace around the room. You hadn’t noticed but he was secretly checking you out in that nightgown. He felt shame and quickly looked away- this wasn’t him.

“Do you think they put something on us?” You asked, your tone laced with anxiety.

The man sighed and ran a hand through his blonde hair, “I don’t know. But they sure know what they’re doing.”

“We should just get on with it. They won’t let us out anytime soon. But maybe they will once we had sex, right?” You asked with a rushed tone. Thoughts occupied your mind and all you wanted to do was get out of this sick and twisted place.

He looked at you with a worried expression, “Are you sure? I mean, we don’t even know each other’s names and-“

“Y/n. My name is y/n,” you interrupted him.

The man raised his brows in surprise and let out an airy chuckle, “Well okay. Name’s Leon.”

He extended his hand out for a handshake and you hesitantly took it. His hands were rough and calloused. Almost made you wonder how they’d feel inside your wet and tight-

What.

You quickly withdrew your hand and looked away. What was going on with you?

“You really want to do this?” He asked softly. You looked at him and swallowed hard. Did you? Or was it whatever the scientists gave you that spoke for you? Either way, you still wanted to get out of this place.

“If fucking you is the only way that could get us out of here then so be it,” you muttered and walked back to the bed.

You sat next to him, shoulders touching.

“Okay then…” he replied quietly, “Guess this is our first date, huh?” He joked.

You looked at him with furrowed brows, how did he have the spirits to joke times like these? Men.

You sat down next to him on the bed, staring at him. He stared right back at you and his gaze fell to your lips. He then leaned in to whisper in your ear, "Can I?”

He put his hand on your cheek as his other hand landed on your thigh. You silently nodded and closed your eyes as he leaned closer to your face.

His breath fanned your lips and all you could do was close your eyes as he finally put his lips on your lips.

The hand on your cheek traveled to the back of your head as he pulled you closer, your hands traveled to his shoulders as you deepened the kiss.

It was a slow, passionate kiss- albeit the current circumstances.

His tongue grazed your bottom lip and you parted your lips just enough for his tongue to delve inside your mouth, exploring every crevice.

The hand on your thigh went higher up to the hem of your nightgown, squeezing the skin gently in between his finger. You moaned into his mouth as he gently hit your bottom lip.

You’ve already started to feel aroused and wet, even though there was a lingering thought in the back of your head telling you that this is wrong.

He leaned closer to you, pushing you down gently until your back finally touches the bed. Leon’s hands moved around your body as he kissed you, his knee right in between your legs causing you to moan quietly.

He smirked at your reaction and moved his lips down to your neck as he pressed his knee into your wet cunt. You couldn’t help but grind on his knee as he sucked your neck. Leaving bruises and hickeys for you to worry about tomorrow.

Your hands wrapped around his biceps as his hands held your waist and squeezed just a tad bit.

He slowly brought his lips down to your collarbone before one of his hands pulled the straps of your nightgown down. Causing the dress to slip down to your waist, revealing your breasts to him.

He pulled back and stared at your hardened nipples with a slight smirk. His fingers hovered over them as he kept teasing you. Then he leaned down to suck the right one, as his hand began to roll your nipple in between his fingers. Your back arched against him and that only caused him to groan at the bliss of sucking your tit.

Your legs squeezed around his as he rubbed it slightly against your covered cunt. He could feel the wetness seeping through the fabric of your panties and that only turned him on even more.

His erection, confined against his clothes, rubbed along your stomach. You could almost feel it twitch as you felt it. Almost.

He pulled back from your right breast and moved on to the second one. His teeth grazed at your nipple as his hand gripped the previously sucked one.

And all you could do was moan and squirm under him.

He moved his lips down from your breasts to your stomach before ripping your nightgown apart and throwing it down on the white floor. Leaving you in your panties.

His lips trailed kisses until he met the waistband of your panties. His fingers ran down your thighs as he slowly parted them, lowering himself until he felt his knees touch the floor. His head was right in between your legs and he stared at the wet spot on the slit of your panties.

He brought a finger and stroked the slit from top to bottom, he made sure to apply just enough pressure for you to not only feel how wet you were but also to feel the way his fingers wanted to prod inside.

You closed your eyes tightly shut as your toes curled. This was all too much and he hasn’t even started. He chuckled lowly, seeing how you were reacting made his pride increase just a little.

He firmly pressed your thighs down on the bed as he brought his face back to the waistband and began to pull your panties down with his teeth. Once they had reached your thighs, he pulled them off with his hands and let them fall on the floor.

You were shining and glistening. His mouth watered and all he wanted to do was dive in. And so he did.

Almost immediately he struck his tongue into your wet hole, licking around as he savored you. He moaned as he tasted you, he’d never tasted something like you and he wanted more.

His thumb circled around your clit, his speed shifting from fast to slow as he watched how much that affected you. He dragged his tongue all the way up and down, sucking your wall and letting them feel just how spongy they are. He then pulled back and moved his thumb away from your clit- which caused to whine in protest.

He gave you a look, one that made you more wet. His eyes piercing yours as he thrusted one finger inside you. He let his index finger stay there for about ten seconds before he actually began to move it. He curled it around as he experimented with what way got you most closest to your orgasm.

His finger curled inside you as he kissed your clit. Sucking it and gently pulling it with his teeth. He took out his finger and then thrusted two fingers inside, causing your mouth to gaze open and let your head roll back against the mattress. He scissored you- fucked you with his fingers.

Pulling out and thrusting all the way back in. His callouses rubbed against your walls, bringing new sensations that you never thought you’d ever experience.

One his index finger hit the spot that made you moan a little too loud, he knew he’d found it. He curled his fingers even more rapidly as he rubbed that spot inside you. Brushing the pad of his middle finger against it, igniting something within you. Your body felt warm and sweaty.

You were coming undone by a complete stranger that is allegedly compatible with you. Your hands traveled to the top of his head and pulled his face closer to your hide. His nose bumped against your slit, his chin hitting fingers. But he didn’t mind, he knew you were close and he wanted you to cum on his face.

He licked your clit as you grinded against his face, your breaths became short and your grip tightened. With a gasped moan, you came on Leon’s face. Your cum spilling down his fingers and chin. He pulled out his fingers and licked as much as he could, swallowing the grace that came out of you.

Once he finished licking you clean, he pulled back and stared at you with dilated pupils. The black consuming all of the blue as he stared at you like a hunter. He got up from the floor and stared down at you as he became mesmerized with your body.

He pulled his shirt over his head, exposing his broad and muscled chest. He then pulled down on his pants, revealing the bulge in his underwear. Pre-cum leaking through the fabric.

You almost drooled and quickly sat up. Crawling your way to him, you sat on your knees as he caressed your head, encouraging you to do whatever you wanted with his dick.

Your hands cupped his bulge and he instantly inhaled sharply. He shuddered at your touch and so you slowly pulled the waistband of his underwear down, watching in awe as his cock sprung free.

The pink tip leaking ore-cum as aforementioned was a sight to behold. Your hand wrapped around his base as you brought your lips over to the head. Kissing it softly as your hand stroked up and down his shaft. He closed his eyes and gripped on your hair, strands meddling in between his fingers.

Your tongue dragged all the down to the bottom, to his ballsack. He shuddered and bucked his hips against your face, smearing pre-cum along your cheek. You parted your lips and slowly took him inside your mouth.

Your hands found his balls and you slowly massaged them, causing him to groan and moan loudly as his grip tightened.

As his dick was inside your mouth, your tongue flicked down the frenulum- just the underside of the tip where the head and the base join. He gasped softly and moaned as he felt you flick your tongue on his sweet spot.

Your tongue slowly moved down from his frenulum to his base, tongue slurping and swirling around as you took him deeper and deeper into your throat. Not deep enough that you’d start gagging because that would probably not feel good.

Instead, you took one of your hands and resumed stroking the remaining parts of his base as you sucked on on the part that fit in your mouth.

Leon was a complete mess; moaning and whimpering as you took him in your mouth. His feet flat on the floor as he looked down at you with pure list and desire. Your eyes met his and he only felt even more turned on.

His cock started to twitch in your mouth and you knew he was about to cum. You continued to stroke his balls and base as your tongue worked its magic on his head and frenulum.

With a loud groan, he gripped your head and forced his entire cock inside your mouth and shot his cum down your throat. Tears pricked at your eyes as you moaned softly as the sensation of his juices spilling down your esophagus. It was warm, you thought.

He pulled back breathlessly and watched as you swallowed his cum. Once he pulled back, some of his cum smeared on your lips and he watched as you licked it back in your mouth. The sight turned him on again and his cock got hard.

Leon got on the bed and slowly pushed you down again. He took hold of your thighs and brought them up to your chest, “Hold,” he demanded in a sultry and low voice.

Your hands wrapped around the back of your thighs as you held them pressed up against your breasts. He aligned his cock to your entrance and slowly pushed in.

“Fuck- so tight,” he muttered as he gasped for air. You rolled your head back and whimpered as he pushed himself all the way through. His pelvic bone making contact with your bone as he slowly began to thrust- not fully out though.

He rolled his hips in a way that wouldn’t allow his cock to leave you completely just yet. He was going slow and gentle, making sure you’ve adjusted first before he picked up the pace.

Once he saw your reaction- face scrunched up in delight as you moaned quietly and breathlessly. He pulled out and then pushed back in with force.

Leon couldn’t control himself anymore. His hands pushed your knees even more down against the mattress, your hamstrings flexing as he pushed this position even more further.

Your breathing increased- chest heaving up and down. His ballsack slapping against your asshole, causing your wetness to spread throughout your both bodies. His tip gently brushed up against your cervix as he plunged in. One of his hands went down to your clit and began to circle it.

You writhed and moaned even more as he simultaneously triggered your two sweet spots. It was all so overwhelming and your mind went blank.

He was fucking you dumb and you loved it. Your jaw went slack, drool coming out from the ends of your lips. Your eyes rolled to the back of your head as you still held on to your thighs.

He left go of your knees and gripped your hips, the sound of wet skin smacking echoing through the room.

“Gonna cum,” he muttered. He leaned down to whisper in your ear, “I’m gonna breed you…fuck- gonna be a good girl f’me right?” He grunted as he kept pounding into you.

His knuckles were turning white from how hard he gripped the fat skin of your hips, as if he was holding on for dear life. You nodded, “Yes,” you breathed out shamelessly.

He grunted some more against your ear and that only caused you to grow closer to your second orgasm. This man was so vocal but it was hot.

“Ngh- fuck,” he moaned as he shot his cum deep into your cunt. Cum spirting into your womb, making sure you took everything without spilling it.

He pulled put and motioned for you to roll over. You obliged and rolled over until you laid down on your stomach. He took hold of your hips once again, raising your ass to his level as he thrusted his cock inside you from behind.

Your face planted against one of the pillow and your hands gripped the bedsheets as your moans came out muffled. Somehow, he hit deeper in this position. His hands went from your hips to your waist and he squeezed it gently.

As he continued to pound into you, your ass cheeks juggling from the force of motion, he took your hair in one hand and pulled your head up. Your eyes were closed as you moaned. This was all so much but you needed more. Completely drunk on his cock is what you were.

He leaned down as he pulled on your hair, “Like it when I fuck you like this, huh?” He taunted. His words were sent straight to your pussy as it caused you to clench around him. You nodded and blabbered stupid yes’s.

“Gonna show me how much you like it?” He whispered as he pulled one and forcefully thrusted in you. You whimpered and moaned as you replied a breathy yes. He chuckled and continued fucking you like a mad dog.

He let go of your hair and wrapped his hand on the back of your neck, his fingers gently pressing on the sides of your throat. You felt lightheaded as he did so but it also added to how hot and turned on you were.

You felt your orgasm near as he continued. Your cunt clenched and pulsated around his cock and it only caused his moans to get short and breathy.

“Feel’s good,” he grunted in your ear. You could only mewl, moan, whimper- all of those sounds were the only things escaping your lips.

His other hand went down to your clit and he pinched it gently, causing a big moan to erupt from your mouth as you came on his cock. Essence spilling down from his shaft and onto the bed but neither of you cared. He groaned and his thrusts faltered slightly as you came on his cock, it felt even more tight and he closed his eyes for a moment as he continued.

But not long after you did he also cum inside you. For the second time. And it felt better than the first. You whimpered from the overstimulation as he shot his cum even deeper, the tip of his head brushing your cervix as his cum (and you were convinced) entered your womb with certainty.

He let go of the back of your throat and slowly pulled out of you. His cock softening as cum oozed out of your cunt and down on the bed. Both of you were left panting and you starting to feel sore and tired already. He looked around to try and find something to clean you with but couldn’t find anything.

So, he resorted to using his shirt to clean you off, “This might hurt,” he spoke softly as he gently pressed the fabric on your cunt and wiped the cum off. He tried to be as gentle as possible as he heard you take in sharp breaths. You were overstimulated and he started to feel bad for how hard he went.

He helped you lay down on your side and dressed you up. He put on your panties but then realized he had torn your nightgown.

“Sorry,” he mumbled shamefully. You shook your shoulders and looked at him with tired eyes, “It’s fine. They weren’t mine anyway.”

You both chuckled at that. You two had almost forgotten the situation you were both in, and maybe that was a good thing.

He pulled on his underwear and pants- since his shirt was used as a towel- and pulled the blanket over your body to give you some privacy. Even though he just fucked you.

He laid down behind you and wrapped his around your waist as he pulled you to him. Both of you closed your eyes and slept for a while, him nuzzling into your hair as your hands rested on top of his arms around your waist.

It was comforting. You felt cared for and that was all that mattered.

The two of you woke up to the sound of a door opening. Your eyes fluttered open almost immediately and you covered yourself with the blanket as Leon watched the scientists come in with a suspicious look. He narrowed his eyes as he saw them approach you.

“We’re going to take both of you to the examination room for testing,” one of them said. The other scientists gave you some new clothes before speaking, “We will wait outside.”

After they left, you exhaled loudly. You had forgotten you and the rest of the people were taken for insemination.

You slowly began to pull your new clothes on and walked out of the room with Leon next to you. The scientists saw you both and began to guide to a room down the hall, with two guards following behind you.

They had told Leon to wait in the lobby as they took you to a more private room. A female scientist came up to you and out on some elastic gloves, “I’ll be the one performing your pregnancy test. I’ll be taking your blood so please relax and take deep breaths for me.”

You sat down on the bed and followed her advice. There was no point in fighting or arguing since she clearly looked exhausted, probably overworked. But you couldn’t feel bad. You felt bitter at the fact that you now had turned into a baby machine- along with the rest of population.

With a sigh, you relax your tensed muscles as she took your arm gently and injected the needle on your vein. Blood began to draw from your arm and into a tube. Suddenly, you felt a wave of washiness. Fatigue overtook your body.

The test was over after a few minutes. The doctor withdrew the needle and put on a bandaid, “Okay. Off you go. Test results should be back in a couple of days. For now… I don’t know,” she shrugged tiredly as she moved over to the side of the room where she stored your blood sample with the rest.

There were at least 100 other blood samples. The mere sight disturbed you and you found yourself leaving the room hastily. Walking back to Leon, he looked at you concerned and gave you a once over to make sure you’re okay. Once he silently approved that you were okay, he spoke with a soft tone, “How do you feel?”

“Like shit,” you muttered. “Did you know that there’s a bunch of us here?” You whispered as your eyes searched around, “I don’t think we can leave.”

He furrowed his brows and looked at you, “Why not? We’ve done the deed, shouldn’t we be free to go home?”

You shook your head, “No. I don’t think so. I have a feeling we’ll be stuck here if the results come back positive.”

He sighed and looked away as the information set in. Freedom was so close, yet so far.

“So now we just wait?” He asked quietly to which you nodded.

“And now we wait.”

Days have passed and you two were called to a room. A scientist sat in the middle of the room, on his chair where he had stacks upon stacks of papers. Both of you sat down in front of the desk and waited for the scientist to notice you two.

“Ah- you’re here,” he muttered as he swiftly began to look for some papers.

“Alright… just to confirm the information is correct. You’re both Leon Kennedy and Y/n L/n?” The scientist asked.

The two of you nodded silently and the scientist continued, “Okay so, we have the results. You are pregnant. Which means we’ll have to keep you both under surveillance. You are to stay in this facility until the birth of your child. You will be assisted with the birth as well as the raising. We will provide all the essential services required for this procedure, all you two have to do is remain healthy. And please, for the love of God, be kind to the child. The couple before me kept on arguing so the least you two could do is pretend you love each other in front of the kid.”

You and Leon exchanged a glance and then looked back at the scientist. You knew this would happen, it was inevitable.

“Before I forget, you two got assigned a new room. On the second floor. Good luck and congratulations,” he said as he dismissed you both.

The two of you stood up and left the room, only to be met with two guards to escort you both to your new room.

You were to share a room but at this point, you didn’t care. You were too focused on thinking about the pregnancy that you had forgotten about Leon.

The more you hung out with Leon, you didn’t know if it was by force or nature, the more you realized how kind he truly is. He looked cold and mean on the exterior but inside he was just a man looking for love. Just like everyone else.

The pregnancy went just fine. Leon was there to support you 24/7 and so were the scientists.

When you had to give labor, Leon stood next to you and held your hand.

You gave birth to a beautiful boy. He had your hair while he had Leon’s eyes. You held your son in your arms and watched as Leon looked at you with awe.

What you weren’t expecting at all was that you fell for Leon. Even before the birth of your son, you and Leon actually began dating. The two of you shared some interests and actually liked to be around each other’s presence.

Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Maybe this was a new type of freedom for you.

#leon kennedy #leon s kennedy #leon scott kennedy #resident evil #leon kennedy x reader #leon kennedy x y/n #leon kennedy x you #leon s kennedy x reader #leon smut #leon #leon kennedy smut #re6 leon #smut #x reader #resident evil 6 #resident evil leon

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honeyedmiller · 6 months

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Checkmate | Joel Miller

pairing: dbf!joel x f!reader

warnings: dbf!joel, age gap (reader is late 20’s, joel mid 40’s), reader is depicted as shorter than joel but otherwise has no other physical description (picture in mood board is for aesthetic purposes only), mutual pining, making out, smut (thigh riding, brief mentions of f oral receiving, unprotected [bc] piv, slight cockwarming, riding), reader’s best friend’s name is hailey, no use of y/n. 18+, minors dni.

huge thank you to my baby @party-hearses for beta reading this for me. i love you to a million pieces 🖤

a/n: also this is my 900 follower celebration?! i still can’t wrap my head around the fact that so many people follow me and enjoy what i reblog / write. i love u all so, so much. i also feel kinda bad bc i hyped this one shot up a lot only for the smut to not be that descriptive, but this is more about joel and reader’s feelings than what they essentially do with each other. hope y’all still enjoy it :’)

word count: 4.6k

synopsis: you and your dad’s best friend play a dangerous game, and one of you ends up losing faster than you both anticipated.

dividers by the lovely @saradika

You wiped your sweaty brow on your forearm as you lugged a fifth box into your new apartment. You’d finally saved up enough to move out of your parent’s place. Your master’s degree had paid off after all, landing you a job in the heart of Austin, Texas. You were only a thirty minute drive from your parent’s house, which your mom totally loved. She couldn’t wait to help you decorate your place and hand you down the pots and pans that’d been in the family for quite some time.

The move wasn’t necessarily a tough one, because you were ready to get out of your parents’ hair. You all got along well, but you were dying for your own privacy and space that you could call your own. You couldn’t be happier now that you had it.

In the midst of the move, your dad insisted he’d phone his best buddy, Joel. You’d only heard about him a handful of times while you were away at college, and in the months you’d been back with your parents, your dad always went over to his house to watch sports or hang out. When the whole family was invited over to his house for barbecues, you always found yourself either already having other plans with your friends, or you were working. Today was finally the day you’d meet the mystery man that is Joel Miller.

And that’s when you saw him. Tall, broad, ruggedly handsome, body clad in an army green shirt that showcased his biceps and veiny forearms, dark jeans that showed off the muscle of his thick thighs, and scuffed up boots from plenty of days, weeks, hell–months of hard work that added an inch or two to his already towering height.

He must’ve been in his forties if you had to guess. His dark brown hair was dusted with slight specs of gray, the scruff on his jawline mirroring the hair on his head. His nose was strong, and was perfectly fitted with his face. He had dark brown eyes that were kind yet held some kind of sternness—a look that made your panties easily dampen. His mustache framed his lips that were pursed into a slight frown, and you couldn’t help but wonder what they’d feel like all over your body.

He looked at you just the same, all but hungry eyes roaming your body as he caught a glimpse of you for the first time. Like a damn deer caught in headlights.

He was your dad’s best friend?

Oh, you were truly, utterly, royally fucked.

You introduced yourself to him and he shook your hand, the calloused pads of his fingers meeting your soft skin sending a string of butterflies through your stomach.

You genuinely don’t think you’d ever been this attracted to someone at first glance.

After he and your dad helped you move all of your stuff into your new place, you’d concluded two things: one, Joel Miller was a man of very few words–at least, around you that is, and two: you were sure he was attracted to you just as you were to him.

Was it so wrong to want someone a little bit older? Perhaps not. What was wrong was that he’s your dad’s best friend. You shouldn’t want someone like that. Someone you were absolutely sure could handle you in the best way possible.

About a month after you’d finally gotten settled into your apartment, you invited your best friend Hailey over a movie night and a glass of wine. You told her about your predicament, to which she couldn’t help but be the little devil on your shoulder and encourage you to go after Joel.

“Look, I know he’s your dad’s best friend n’ all, but what he doesn’t know wouldn’t hurt him, right?” She questions, legs tucked underneath her body as her lips curl into a sly grin before she takes another sip of her wine.

“I mean yeah, but I’ve never done something like this before. An older man, who’s closely acquainted with my dad? I oughta be out of my damn mind.” You sigh, rubbing your temple.

“Live a little, babe. You’ve been a good kid to your parents your whole life. It’s time you do something for you for once and go after it. Make a subtle move on him next time. That might spice things up a bit.” She suggests, pursing her lips.

“You’re right. But if I make a move and it backfires, I’m completely fucked and I’m moving to the other side of the country.” You laugh exasperatingly.

She reaches over to pat your thigh softly. “Only one way to find out.”

You hadn’t seen Joel as of late, but you weren’t phased by it. It’d been a really busy couple of weeks at work, and you were joining your coworkers tonight for a celebratory t.g.i.f. drink.

Hailey was over at your apartment getting ready with you and you both were already two shots of tequila in. You weren’t much of a drinker, but truth be told, you needed this night out.

“So I’m either between this dress or this one.” You explain to Hailey, and she studies the options you held up for her to thoroughly inspect. It was either between a black satin mini dress with sparkly straps, or a strapless maroon bodycon dress

“This one,” She points at the black dress. “With your red kitten heels.”

You toss the maroon dress onto your bed and take the black one off of the hanger, changing into the dress after Hailey goes to pour herself another shot. You slip aforementioned heels on and give yourself a once over in your full body closet mirror, satisfied with your appearance.

You wanted to look and feel hot tonight, and it was safe to say you achieved just that. Maybe you’d pick up some hot guy at the bar tonight. He may not be no Mr. Miller, but anyone to take the tension of the past couple of weeks away would suffice.

You were applying one last layer of lipgloss when Hailey’s knuckles rapped on your door twice, head peeking into your bedroom.

“Uber’s here. Let’s go get fucked up.”

You laugh at her enthusiasm, hot on her trail as you locked up and headed down to your Uber.

The ride was only fifteen minutes before you pulled up to the bar that was already packed. You both slipped inside, spotting your coworkers at a table. They were laughing about something when you and Hailey walked up, and they all cheerily greeted you with hugs.

It wasn’t long before the DJ was playing some line dancing songs, and multiple people made their way to the dance floor to move their bodies. You and Hailey were the only ones left at the table as you laughed at your coworkers trying to keep up with the beat of the song.

“Mr. Hottie over there has been checking you out for some time now.” Hailey leaned into you, nudging your side with her elbow as she jutted her head toward a man at the bar.

You felt your body drained of warmth as you saw none other than Joel Miller standing at the end of the bar, sipping on his beer tentatively. His eyes were locked on you, and the stupid butterflies rumbled around in your stomach once more.

“Hailey, that’s him.” You say, swallowing thickly.

“Who?” She gives you a questioning look, the drinks she’s had tonight making her mind a bit fuzzy.

“My dad’s best friend. That’s Joel.” You say, and her eyes nearly bug out of her head.

“Oh, girl, if you don’t make your move I’ll force you to make one. He’s a fucking hunk.”

Your eyes trailed back over to him, taking in his appearance. He switched out the green t-shirt for a gray one, dark wash jeans, and the same boots he wore when he showed up to help you move into your place.

The way he was looking at you made you want to do extremely sinful things with him. Fuck. Now or never.

“I’ll be back.” You tell Hailey, and her expression brightens up and cheers you on as you slip off of your seat.

You saunter over to Joel, drink in hand, and you sip on it through the straw as you approach him. He looks down at you amused, eyes nearly black as he scans you from head to toe.

“You stalking me now, Mr. Miller?” You tease, leaning up against the bar top.

Joel scoffs a laugh and sips on his beer once more. “Y’think I don’t have something better to do with my time than to see where you are on a Friday night?” He retorts, but it wasn’t mean. You were sober enough to hear the hint of playfulness in his tone.

“Mm, not really.” You shrug, feigning an innocent smile up at him.

So you could be a brat. He bet he could fix that attitude in no time.

He chuckled at his own thoughts, finishing off his beer as he set the empty bottle down on the sticky bar top.

“You caught me, darlin’. Any woman as ravishing as you is worth stalkin’.” The slight curl of his lip made you smile. You sipped on your drink some more as you watched the patrons of the bar dancing to the current song. Your eyes avert back up to his gaze, and you step closer to him.

His eyes move down to your glossy lips wrapped around the straw, wishing so badly that your lips were wrapped around something else right at that moment.

“What brings you here tonight, Mr. Miller?” You ask, reaching a hand out to touch his bicep. His body goes rigid at your touch, and you fear you’ve gone too far so your hand immediately drops. Joel does a quick scan of the bar before wrapping his arm around your waist, pulling you flush against his sturdy body.

“My brother’s best friend’s birthday.” He shrugs, and you nod. You felt like a fucking hummingbird with how fast your heart was beating, and you were sure Joel could feel it with the close proximity between the two of you.

The air became thick and heavy. Your breathing accelerated, looking up at Joel and into his lust-clouded eyes. His grip on your waist tightened in the slightest, and you nearly whimpered as you felt his bulge through the denim fabric of his jeans.

“Joel.” Your voice was merely a whisper, and he smirked down at you.

“Care to line dance, darlin’?” He asked nonchalantly. Your eyebrows furrowed as disappointment shot through you. Were you reading the situation wrong?

“I don’t really know how.” You say, setting your now watered-down drink on the counter.

“I’ll teach you.” He shrugs, grabbing your hand and dragging you onto the dance floor. He showed you step by step how to move, but your mind was so hazy with lust that you could barely even focus.

It’d been months since someone touched you in an intimate way, and the burning need and desire was aflame through your body. All you could think about was Joel’s hands and tongue on you as you moaned his name. The thought nearly made you pout.

“You even listenin’ to me?” Joel pulls you out of your daydream, and you look up at him with half lidded eyes. He was teasing and holding out on you and he knew it.

His face held pure amusement as he watched you squirm under his stare uncontrollably, fidgeting like a little kid on Christmas Eve waiting for Santa to stop by.

“I’m gonna go get another drink.” You sigh, walking back to the table Hailey was waiting at.

“What happened?” She asks, looking behind you at Joel who was burning a hole in the back of your body.

“No idea. Guess I’m not getting lucky after all.” You shrug with a disappointed huff of a laugh. You looked back to see if Joel was still there, but he seemed to have disappeared.

You grabbed your purse and made your way to the bar, leaning over it. The back of your dress rode your thighs significantly, barely covering your ass at this point. Before you could get the bartender’s attention again, you felt a hand on your shoulder pull you back and press you into their body. You were about to mouth off on this person before you realized it was Joel.

“Fuck, c’mon.” His hand slid down to your wrist, gently tugging it. You looked at Hailey as you started to follow Joel and pointed at him discreetly, and she gave you a thumbs up.

Joel led you out into the cool air of the night, immediately chilling your whole body. Goosebumps raised onto your skin as he led you to his truck, your heels clicking against the unevenly paved asphalt.

“What are you doing, Joel?” You ask as you stop in front of a dark truck.

“I’m about to give us what we both want.” He said before trapping your body against his truck and between both of his strong arms that landed on either side of you. You cocked an eyebrow up at him, eyes and lips glossy underneath the dim parking lot lights.

“Can’t believe I’m fuckin’ doin’ this.” Joel murmurs before leaning down, smashing his lips with yours. You moan softly into the kiss, carding your fingers into his longer locks. You give the ends a slight tug and he moans into your mouth. You feel the arousal pool in your panties and your untouched core starts to throb. You whine into the kiss, and Joel takes that as an opportunity for his tongue to invade your mouth.

He tastes like mint now, probably having popped an altoid in his mouth before coming back to get you from the bar. His hands travel downwards and find purchase on your thighs underneath the dress, rubbing circles into your soft skin. He starts to rut his hips into yours, the bulge in his jeans catching onto your clothed clit deliciously.

“Joel, please.” You choke out as his lips disconnect from yours, hot kisses traveling down your neck and onto your collarbone.

“Please what, baby?” He asks, voice raspy and muffled as he breathes against your neck.

“Need you. Fuck, please, just touch me.” You don’t care how desperate you sound to him at this moment. His touch left a trail of flames everywhere his hands landed, and you couldn’t get enough.

Joel wrapped his arm around your waist and pulled you away from the back door of his truck, opening it and helping you slide in. He got in right after you, closing and locking the doors. Your chest was rapidly heaving up and down, trying to catch your breath from the intense moment.

Joel didn’t give you much leeway, though, because as soon as he spread his legs to get comfy in the backseat, he was pulling you on top of him. You closed the gap between you two this time, rutting your hips forward so your heat sat right on top of his bulging crotch. He groaned lowly, looking down to where your dress had ridden up. He saw your pink lace panties that you had on, and god were you grateful you chose to wear those tonight.

Joel hummed in appreciation as he slid his calloused hands up the smooth skin of your thighs, looking back up to meet your gaze. Your lipgloss was nearly gone off of your lips and onto Joel’s, and he had to admit he liked the sticky cherry flavor.

“Your daddy would kill me with his bare hands right now if he saw what I was doin’ with his darlin’ daughter.” Joel chuckles, shaking his head.

“That’s why he won’t find out,” You shrug. “Besides, I’m a grown woman. I can make my own decisions and decide what I want… and what I want is you, Mr. Miller.”

Joel raises an eyebrow and huffs a small laugh. “That right?” He questions, grip getting slightly tighter on the soft flesh of your thighs.

“Mhm.” You nod, hand cradling the back of his head.

“What we’re doin’—this is bad.” Joel chastised, mostly to himself.

“Relax, Joel. I won’t tell if you won’t.” You twirl the hair at the nape of his neck through your fingers, applying more pressure onto his groin. He grunts in response, adjusting himself slightly as the confinement of his jeans was nearly torturous at this point.

“Fine. But we’re endin’ this whole hookin’ up thing if anyone gets even the slightest bit suspicious.” He negotiates, and you nod.

“You’ve got yourself a deal, Miller.”

Joel chuckles and shakes his head, leaning up to capture your lips into his once again. You hum against him, hands moving down to his chest as your nails scratch over the thin fabric of his shirt.

You start to grind yourself onto him again, and he groans once more before separating his lips from yours to mumble against them. “Use my thigh, baby.” He shifts you onto his left thigh, and you steady yourself on him by gripping his shoulders.

“I don’t wanna ruin your pants.” You sigh, the pressure of your clothed clit on his thick thigh already providing the tiniest bit of relief.

“I don’t give a shit about my pants, baby. Soak ‘em for all I care.” He presses his lips to your neck once more, and you shiver at the contact. You’re shy at first, not ever having gotten yourself off on someone’s thigh before.

Joel senses your hesitation, so he moves his hands back up to your hips and shifts them forward, causing your soaked cunt to glide along his jean-clad thigh.

You take over yourself, rocking your hips back and forth at a languid pace. Desperate moans are falling out of your mouth as you fist his shirt into your hands, feeling yourself so close already.

“Joel, feels so-so fucking good.” You whine, head dropping back. Your jaw goes slack and eyebrows thread together, picking the pace of your hips up.

“Yeah? Such a good fuckin’ girl, takin’ what she needs to get off.”

“I need you, Joel, please.”

Joel moved his hands to fumble with his belt buckle and jeans button to take his jeans off in the slightest, finally relieving his erection. You moaned at the sight of his thick cock, pre cum gathered at the tip. You brought your thumb to his slit, gathering the pre cum onto your finger before bringing it up to your mouth to gently suck on it.

Joel’s jaw ticked, resisting the urge to bend you over the back of his seat and fuck you senseless then and there. Luckily, he had a lot more restraint than he thought, because all he did was just stare at you sucking seductively on your thumb.

You shifted yourself so you were straddling both of his thighs now, and you grabbed his cock into your hand to give it a few slow tugs. Joel sucked in a breath at your touch, head being thrown back onto the headrest of the seat. You tugged your panties to the side before you ran the tip of his weeping cock through your slick folds, a lewd wetness sounding throughout the cab of the truck.

You moaned as Joel hissed at the contact. It’d been awhile since Joel had been with someone, so he prayed to whatever god was out there that he’d be able to last.

“C’mon baby, don’t be a fuckin’ tease.” Joel grunts, fingertips digging into your hips. You look down at him with half lidded eyes as you sank down onto his length without much resistance.

The stretch was fucking heavenly. Your lips parted as you puffed out a pant and sucked in a breath shortly after, reaching the hilt.

“So fucking big. Fuck.” You mewl, fingers digging into his shoulders for balance once more.

“Stay still for a little.” Joel’s voice was strained, sounding nearly pained as he choked out his words. You felt so good wrapped around him that he just wanted to appreciate your warmth.

Joel slid the sparkly straps of your dress down your shoulders, tugging down the neckline of your dress to reveal your breasts. His tongue darted out of his mouth to briefly wet his lips, large hands moving up to gently squeeze the soft flesh of your chest.

“So fuckin’ perfect.” Joel whispers, moving his head down to envelope one erect nipple into his mouth while his thumb and index finger toyed with the other. You moved one hand up his chest and to the back of his hair, threading your fingers through the thick locks once more as you pushed his face deeper into your pillowy flesh.

The feeling of his expert tongue and heavy cock in you was beginning to be too much. You needed him to move, or at least let you move. You weren’t above absolutely begging him until he gave in, but he seemed to have the same idea as his hips thrusted into you.

You took that as an initiative to move, so you began to slowly glide yourself up and down on him. You sucked in a sharp breath as the feeling of him repeatedly filling you made your legs shake. He took his mouth off of your swollen flesh to avert his gaze to yours, eyes locking as you moved up and down. He moved a hand down to generously rub at your aching clit, causing your cunt to deliciously clench around him.

“Gonna ruin this tight little pussy. Just you wait.” His voice is throaty and deep, sending shivers down your spine. The dangerous glint in his eye let you know that he was dead serious.

You wanted Joel Miller to ruin every other man for you.

That’s how this, the dangerous thing—the game—started.

You both were determined to win at something that wasn’t even tangible; something so lucrative to both of you that the consequences wouldn’t even fucking matter.

It didn’t matter as he took over and fucked his hips up into you at a brutal pace, causing you to orgasm violently on his cock within minutes. It didn’t matter when the windows of his truck fogged up and the drag of your fingertips adorned the glass. It didn’t matter when you reassured him he could cum in you because you were on birth control.

As months went on after that night at the bar, him fucking you up against the wall of his shower or pounding you into your bed or eating your pussy until you physically could not breathe anymore was all that dazed your mind.

Fuck the consequences.

None of it fucking mattered.

Because, over the months, Joel Miller was the kind of man you didn’t mind having in your bed after you two’ve fucked. You didn’t mind when he slept over, or when he wanted to be the little spoon, or when you both went out on dates like a normal couple would.

The euphoria of it all didn’t last forever, though. You knew it wouldn’t, but the heavy weight and reality of it all came crashing down on you one day when Joel was buried deep into your warm cunt, both of you teetering on the edge of a climax, when your dad came knocking on your front door. Pure panic seized your body and you had to make Joel hide in your closet like a fucking teenager.

That’s when you realized you both were way in over your head with this whole thing. Getting caught was going to be inevitable if it kept up like this.

You were eternally grateful that your dad was a man who didn’t hover. He left your apartment after fifteen minutes and when Joel came out from hiding, you told him that it was way too close and it was too risky to keep doing what you both wanted to never put a stop to. You’d silently promised yourself that was the last time with him.

Joel tried to argue against it, but you put your foot down. That is, until you got slightly buzzed one night and begged Joel to come fuck you. Truthfully, you didn’t even really need the sex from him. It was just a plus. You just enjoyed being around him so much that having him in some way, even if only physically, was to suffice.

Little did you know, he felt ten times stronger than what you felt. Joel Miller would worship the ground you walked on, if you allowed him to do so.

He was at your doorstep in no time, pushing you against the wall and kissing you with such neediness as if you’d disappear right beneath his fingertips. You were wearing one of his oversized t-shirts and a pair of panties to which Joel discarded immediately. His thick fingers rubbed against your slick heat, hips bucking to meet the languid pace he set.

Joel shouldn’t be here.

You promised yourself the last time would be the fucking last.

And yet, you found yourself willingly shoved up against the wall of your living room by none other than the man you swore you’d stay away from as he leaves hot, fervent kisses along the slope of your neck.

“Joel, we—fuck, we shouldn’t be doing this. We have to stop.”

“Yeah? Not what you were sayin’ when you were practically beggin’ me to fuck you again over the phone.” He grits. He sinks his fingers into your aching cunt, prying a strangled moan from your throat.

He’s frustrated with himself.

Frustrated that he so easily succumbed to you, allowing himself to wrap himself in the greedy need and carnal desire he had for you. Frustrated that you were twenty years younger than him, and frustrated that you should’ve been off limits.

You were supposed to be off limits, god damnit, but Joel Miller was a greedy fucking man. He just had to have you in a way that nobody else could.

He really didn’t blame your father if he strangled the man with his own bare hands if he ever found out what you two did behind his back, in secret, and for months at that.

Joel knew better.

He fucking knew better and still decided to get a taste, get a feel, fuck you like no other man had. Something his greed deliciously sunk its teeth into, allowing himself to indulge in the forbidden realm you offered to give him.

You knew better, too. But you did get one thing you wanted, after all.

You’d be a fucking liar if you didn’t admit that Joel Miller had officially ruined every other man for you.

The dangers of the game had sunk its teeth so deep into both of you. It was like the world’s most impossible chess match, and one of you was finally waiting for the other to say “checkmate.”

The thing is, Joel lost a long while ago.

He fucking lost the game.

He couldn’t stay away from you no matter how hard he tried, and when you called him begging him to fuck you tonight, his need for you practically drowned him in his weakness.

Joel Miller was not a weak man. You had him under a fucking spell that he couldn’t seem to reverse.

It’s like you were his fucking kryptonite.

He was the one that royally fucked in the end.

Joel wished he didn’t have these feelings that clawed at his fucking rib cage every time he glanced at you, some sort of animalistic creature trying to escape when you were under him, legs spread wide, your warmth wrapped around his cock as he buried himself in you.

Every single time he had you like that, had his lips on you, had you moaning his name like a prayer on Sunday mornings, saw your sweet smile, smelled your perfume that he loved so much, heard your contagious laugh, he knew he lost.

Checkmate.

tags: @nostalxgic ; @ilovepedro ; @bastardmandennis ; @tinygarbage ; @amanitacowboy ; @holesandlividity ; @planet-marz1 ; @joelmillers-whore ; @cool-iguana ; @janaispunk ; @freakygothgirl ; @survivingandenduring ; @clawdee ; @danaispunk ; @kiwisbell ; @untamedheart81

#joel miller #joel miller smut #joel miller fic #joel miller fanfiction #joel miller imagines #joel miller one shot #joel miller imagine #joel miller x female reader #joel miller x f!reader #dbf! joel smut #dbf!joel miller #dbf!joel #pedro pascal imagines #pedro pascal imagine #pedro pascal one shot

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motelofmermaids · 5 months

Text

based off of this request! (I have never written something like this before, so i hope y’all enjoy!)

what i would imagine finnick odair like as a dad.

༄ after the first few months of bringing your son home, it was stressful. there was no doubt that you and finnick had your moments where you wanted to scream into a pillow and wander off to a week long slumber. but when finnick would be sitting in a chair, gently rubbing his pinky finger up and down your baby’s nose to calm him down, you’d be awake as if you’ve never missed a single moment of sleep. you could watch him forever, and finnick would look up at you with a proud smile that he got the once screaming baby to fall asleep.

❥ around the age of three, finnick would start taking him to the beach to collect seashells and play in the water. you’d bring extra blankets and little snacks you made—you ate the scraps in the kitchen, because you couldn’t help yourself, you were a lot more hungry with the constant chaos of moving. your son had made you more active than you could have ever thought, despite the fact you’ve been in the hunger games twice. instead of saving yourself, though, you and finnick had the responsibility of saving your toddler… especially when finnick one time found him up on the wardrobe in his room, crying and unable to get down.

༄ by the age of seven, finnick introduced him to fishing. he gifted a small trident to him on his fifth birthday, but you thought that was a little too soon for a kid to handle a weapon like that. with his own trident, finnick would be in the water with him. “aim right there! you can do it, take it easy now,” he’d say, like the proud father he’s become. sometimes you couldn’t help the little giggles that came out when finnick would say the most dad thing you’ve ever heard. he’s even started making the jokes. “finnick… that joke doesn’t even make sense,” you’d laugh out with a hand over your mouth. to which your over enthusiastic son would say, “but dad’s funny! he’s the funniest man alive!” and you and finnick would smile at each other with a look of ‘i love you.’

❥ “i can’t believe we made someone like him,” you started, head resting on finnick’s shoulder as you watched your 10 year old son sleep. “we made the best versions of ourself into him,” finnick whispered out, thumb gently caressing your hand. “i’m so glad he will never get to experience what we did, he’s allowed to be,” you mumbled with a wobble in your voice, “free.”

༄ when your teenager brought his first significant other home, you and finnick were more than delighted to make a feast. finnick wouldn’t pry, but he’d still be a dad. he’d ask questions, crack a few jokes here and there—which he’s improved quite a bit over the years. he’d hold your hand all throughout dinner, give his son little winks here and there. he’d offer privacy to the young couple to see the stars on the beach with a bottle of wine, to which you kicked his leg under the table because ‘he’s too young.’

❥ when you and finnick were in your sixties, waiting for your son to arrive later in the evening, you’d look back on all the memory albums you’ve created. “i’m so proud of the man he turned into,” finnick would say, “i’m so proud of the person we raised.” you gently nodded, fingers gently brushing over the photos. “i don’t think i could have ever done it without you… you grounded me. you turned me into a good person,” you sighed. reminiscing on the life before snow had died, you hated it. that you were just a kid turned into a cold-blooded murderer. “hey, hey…,” finnick repositioned to look at you, “we might’ve not been able to be free, but that doesn’t mean we weren’t good. we fought, and we gave our son the best life imaginable.” you nodded, leaning in to give him a kiss on the cheek. he was right, your son is living the best life he possibly could, due to the both of you.

#finnick odair #finnick odair x reader #finnick odair x you #maybe i’d want children if finnick was the father!#this is kind of like ‘if finnick odair was a dad AND a husband’#kel’s anon show 📺

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fuctacles · 3 months

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sports au!!!!!

The booth was stuffy and smelled like it’s been forgotten for a decade. But the equipment was new and the glass pane was cleaned up, giving Eddie a clear view of the court.

“Is this a good moment to say I don’t know the rules?”

The coach, and his PE professor, looks one step away from murder.

“Just remember our team is wearing green.”

“Yes sir!”

The man squints at him with clear distrust so Eddie gives him his widest, purest smile.

“Good thing nobody’s listening to the campus radio.”

The joke’s on him; Eddie has garnered a lot of listeners over the past months. Listeners that he might lose after hosting a live sports event.

“Don’t be too weird. I might send you someone to help with the rules so you don’t completely ruin it.” He pats Eddie on the shoulder, his palm so heavy it feels like he’s trying to pin him into the chair, before disappearing behind the door in the back. Seconds later he’s visible walking down the steps to his team.

Eddie looks at his watch. It’s going to be the longest four hours in his academic history.

He turns to the concsole, frowns at the unfamiliar dials and switches and focuses on the ones he knows. Tunes everything to his best ability, takes a breath, and clears his throat before starting the broadcast.

“Hello, students of Indiana University! I know it’s a Friday night and you were hoping for some nice tunes to party to, but prepare your pillows for a nap instead because you’ll be listening to a football match. No, wait, basketball. I’m pretty sure.

Anyway, dunno why you’d listen to a match instead of going to see it, but ya boy needs to pass PE this term so here we are.

And here comes our team! The green ones. It’s greens against blues tonight, folks.”

“Tigers versus Roaches, actually.”

Eddie turns around and sees a tall boy enter his studio.

“First of all, who the fuck names their team Roaches. Second, we have an intruder in the studio.”

The boy extends his hand unfazed.

“I’m Lucas, your interpreter. Since I’m benching for the first half anyway.”

“Booo, I was just going to make up rules as I go. Now you’re gonna make it boring.”

But he shakes his hand anyway and lets Lucas sit on the chair next to him.

“Careful, I’m a dedicated listener. My friends too, you’d probably lose your whole audience.” He smirks. Eddie scoffs.

“I’ll let you know, tiger cub, that many people listen to Munson’s Midnight Metal Madness.”

“I meant the DnD show.”

Eddie looks at the boy, his neat haircut and team jersey.

“Really?”

“Yes, and I’d love to talk more about it later, but now let’s introduce my teammates.”

Eddie hands him the microphone to spit out names he’s never heard before and whatever their bearers' positions were. He hopes the coach doesn’t mind it. All Eddie could do was like, comment on their appearance. Which…

“Where did you get that one from? America’s poster boy catalog?”

He watches Lucas’s face twitch with the effort not to laugh.

“That’s Jason Carver. He’s vice-captain now and will take over the team once Steve graduates later this year.”

“Which one’s that?”

“He usually comes out last.”

Eddie asks about the important stuff - the team's average height and where Andy got his haircut. He looks over the group of young men appraisingly.

“You know what, if I knew y’all play in these funky white socks and guns out I might have gotten into sports commentary earlier.”

Lucas chuckles, but Eddie's on a roll.

“Especially with such a great co-host, Lucas Sinclair! He’s not on the court yet but he’s being an invaluable source of lore in the studio. Don’t think I’d forget about you, man.” He nudges the younger student. “What’s your specialty on the team?”

“Well…” Lucas scratches his cheek sheepishly. “I’m probably the fastest and my throws are pretty good,” he admits. “Oh, that’s Steve!”

Eddie looks to the right, where a dude with Harrington on his jersey walks in, smiling wide to friends and families watching.

“Damn, that’s some magnificent hair,” Eddie whistles.

“Yeah, that’s kinda what he’s known for. This hairdo lasts through the whole game, dunno how he does it.”

“He’s gotta give me some tips, because I look like a wet rat by the end of the day. And I don’t even do sports.”

“I’m pretty sure you look like a wet rat no matter the time of day.”

The jab was true but even if it wasn’t, Eddie had a more important thing to focus on right now.

“Does your captain have a tattoo?” he asks, squinting through the window. He was pretty sure it was ink that was peeking from the bottom of Steve Harrington’s shorts, but it was so out of place on a college athlete, he needed a triple take and the ‘ask the audience’ lifeline to make sure.

“Yep. The coach says it makes him look like a criminal,” he snorts, showing what he thinks about it. “Steve said he regrets not getting it somewhere more visible so more people could see tattoos are not for criminals and rockstars only.”

“Your captain is a smart guy,” Eddie grins, almost sighing into it, to his utter horror. Just a glimpse of a hot guy from afar, a peek of a tattoo, and hearing of his liberal views was apparently enough to make his heart beat faster.

“The best I ever knew,” Lucas admits and it sounds like a Story, capital “s” and all. His next words confirm that. “Our friend group is planning matching tattoos and we are still talking him out of getting it above the neckline.”

Eddie barks out a laugh.

“Sounds like a savage. I gotta meet your captain sometime soon.”

It’s at this point they notice the coach gesturing at them angrily and they get back to commenting on the game that’s about to start.

“Okay, so explain to me which laundry basket is ours…”

“Okay okay okay. So number four is a tank, yeah? He blocks the other players. Six is a rogue, who slips between the cracks. And number one, your captain, is a warrior who goes for the attack.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“It’s like LARPing for normies,” Eddie realizes in awe and Lucas laughs so unexpectedly he starts to cough.

“Sinclair! You’re in!”

They both jump at the sudden appearance of the coach. Lucas springs up from his seat.

“Yes sir!”

“It was a pleasure to host with you.” Eddie smiles at his new friend.

“You too. Catch you after the game?”

“Sure.” He smiles brightly, his head already swimming with ideas of how to fuck over Lucas’ future DnD character. Because playing together was inevitable, the dice were thrown, and the plot was in motion.

Lucas passes by the coach who now turns his attention to Eddie.

“You’re doing good, don’t ruin it.” He looks in pain admitting that. “I might send someone else to help you out.”

“Thanks, coach.” Though Eddie doubts he’d be vibing so well with anyone else on the team.

Just five minutes later though, he’s proven wrong.

“Heard you’ve been curious about my tattoo?”

Eddie's so startled he knocks the microphone down and yanks out the cord in his haste to turn around.

“Captain!” he yells like a dumbass, faced with the hair and boyishness of no one else but Steve Harrington.

“Radio-man!” Steve yells back with a wide and teasing smile. “I’ve heard so much about you, man, you have no idea.” He steps closer. “My kids love your show.”

“Your kids?”

“My, uh, younger friends. I used to babysit them and it kinda stuck,” he admits with an awkward smile. Steve is nothing like the typical jock he’s come to expect and he’s everything Lucas advertised.

“That’s adorable, man.”

“Don’t laugh at me,” he pouts. He honest to god pouts.

“Not laughing!” Eddie raises his hands placatingly. “There’s nothing bad with a family-tight friend group.”

“Damn straight.” Steve smiles and sits on the chair vacated by Lucas. He eyes the microphone lying prone on the desk. “Technical difficulties?”

Eddie rushes to fix his equipment.

“You could say so,” he murmurs, trying to busy himself with the tangled cord. But a hand stops him before he can plug it in.

“We’re off the air now, right?”

Eddie looks over the control lights on the console.

“Yeah. Why?”

“You have beautiful eyes.”

“What?”

When Eddie woke up today, he knew his day would be weird. No day spent in a sports facility could be normal or pleasant. It was confirmed when he made a new friend with a member of the team, who was a listener of his DnD podcast. But the team captain hitting on him? That’s not your regular weird, that’s a bad strain of weed kind of weird.

“Lucas sent me over claiming a guy my type might be hiding here.”

It takes everything from Eddie not to take a look around. Logically, he knows there’s no one else in the booth. But his brain refuses to connect the dots. He licks his lips and cringes at the wet noise his mouth makes.

“What’s your type?”

Steve tilts his head and hums like he’s in thought.

“Weird, smartass nerd, as it turns out. With big brown eyes and great hair.”

“Uh, thank you?”

Steve only smiles at him, soft before it turns teasing.

“Wanna see my tattoo up close?” he offers.

“Gosh, yes,” he admits with zero shame, eyes flitting down to the man’s legs. Was he curious about what type of tattoo a gorgeous sport-type guy would get? Yes. Did he want to ogle some hairy thighs? Also yes. It’s a two-in-one kind of deal.

The coach waves at them angrily to get back on the air, but Steve promises to tell him everything about S.S. Robin after the game. And no, Robin is just his best friend, Eddie doesn’t need to worry about her.

“In fact, wanna be my date to the after-party later? The kids will freak out when they meet you.”

How could Eddie say no to his fans' worship?

And to Steve’s hopeful eyes and the slight squeeze he gave his hand.

“Mingling with jocks in my free time?” Eddie turns his palm up to squeeze back. “Sure, let’s make this day even weirder.”

#steddie #eddie munson #stranger things #steve harrington #mine #ff #stranger things 4 #steddie fanfiction #st #request #one shot #college au #sports au #radio host eddie #ive had this idea for months and it finally got an outlet #steddie fic

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kelppsstuff · 3 months

Note

HI MOOTIEE anyways I got smth for ya

Of course it's Adam cause YEA.

what if Adam and his goth girlfriend who is an angel of course can be fluff can be smut anything you want

Thanks mootie have a wonderful dayyy

HIIII MY BELOVED!!!! Ahhhh I hope you like thissss I enjoyed working on it! Have a fantastic day for everyone reading! Also I low-key think I’m turning into a slut with all the smut I’ve been writing recently 😭

“Looking Pretty!”

Adam x Goth gf reader

Masterlist

Warnings: blow job

Taglist: @adamsfavoritesinner @sashaphantomhive @leathesimp @ladyninggs @michelleszn @sirenetgeblogger

—

Adam had first met you when he was on stage performing at a concert. You saw you next to Lute singing all the lyrics on the top of your lungs. He threw two guitar picks y’all’s way, one for each of you and moved on to the other side of the stage.

After the concert had ending Lute introduced you two. You were her sister, and he was her boss.

—

“Sir?” Lute called out to her boss. She was behind stage and wanted to introduce her best friend to her sister. “Yeah danger tits?” Adam asked looking over his shoulder for a spilt second. He was signing autographs for girl and guys, and even little kids.

“I’d like you too meet someone if you’d have the time.” Adam brain flashed to you and Lute together in the audience. Shirley his lieutenant. wanted to introduce him to you. “Sure thing. I’ll be back ladies.”

He and lute walked over to where you were, talking to the drummer. Adam felt his eye twitch. Said drummer always pissed him off — copied Adam 24/7.

“Y/N. This is Adam.” Lute said, taking your attention away from the drummer. You looked to the first man and felt a whole bundle of nerves and excitement gather in your stomach.

“Hi! I’m Y/N!” You stuck your hand out and Adam took it. “Never expected to see a big toy goth girl in heaven.” Leave Adam to be… Adam.

Lute was screaming in her head at Adam. That was her SISTER. And what if you said something slick back?! That’s her BOSS!

“Guess I’m special.”

“Sure babe, but you ain’t better than me.”

—

The thing that made Adam really start to notice you was your outfits. He loved all the necklaces you would wear, loved the make up you did most days. He also loves your fishnets.

He couldn’t count how many times he gotten hard when you would walk around in them. It gotten that porn wouldn’t even help him anymore, but the thoughts of you did.

Adam had invited you to every one of his concerts, and even if Lute didn’t show, you still did. You were his biggest fan, his biggest supporter.

—

Adam had to be on stage in thirty minutes and every thing had started to go wrong. First his guitar wasn’t in tune. Next his singer called out last minute, something about forgetting an date. So he would have to sing, and his throat had been hurting all day. Then he couldn’t find his mask. And finally while he was trying to calm himself down, there was knock at his dressing room door. He couldn’t get a fucking minute alone.

“Fuck off!” He shouted, trying to tune his guitar. But the person didn’t fuck off. You opened the door and poked your head through the door. “Need help?” Your eyes widened. You hadn’t ever seen him with out his mask.

He was handsome safe to say. Rich brown hair, golden shimmering eyes, and a stubble that suited him. He wore black ripped jeans and a white tank top, typical rockstar outfit.

Adam glared at you but the ultimately decided you could be useful. “Come here.” His voice had a certain chill, it sent shocks of excitement down your spine. You walked over to him, and stood waiting for what he needed.

Adam looked you up and down and silently cursed. You wore a short ass skirt, with a crop maroon tank top — that did a poor job in hood your tits from spilling in Adams opinion. The platforms you wore, made you a bit taller but Adam still towered over you. And you wore those fucking fish nets.

Adam sat you down on the couch and put his guitar in your hands. He got behind you and put his hands over your own. You noticed he wasn’t wearing his gloves, you had also noticed how vain-y his hands really were along with his fore arms. “Do you know how to tune a guitar?” His breath fanned over your ear and blowing you hair the faintest bit.

“No,” you went to turn your head around to him but he grabbed your chin with his hand and pushed your head to look back at the guitar. “You see these nobs? The make the strings tighter and loser.” Adam reached into his back pocket, pulling out his phone.

Once he had his tuning app pulled he placed said phone your thigh. He didn’t move his hand away from it, at least not before gripping your fishnets, wishing to tear them.

“Adjust the nobs accordingly and the app will tell you if it’s in tune or not, and if it needs to be looser or tighter. Understand?” You nodded your head, and he reluctantly pulled away from you.

He started to look around for his mask. He couldn’t preform without it. He was surprised that he was comfortable with you seeing his face. Despite that, he knew he wouldn’t be comfortable performing without it.

You started to tune his guitar, slightly confused at first, but slowly got the hang of it.

Adam had trouble finding his mask. He would look at you and think thoughts that would, we’ll send him to hell probably. When he would look away — after telling himself to stop being creepy — it wouldn’t be long till his eyes were back on you. So yeah, he couldn’t find his mask.

You looked up over to him and saw him staring directly at you. Placing the guitar on the couch you got up and walked over to him. Normally you would be wearing necklaces that would move with your steps but he took notice in your bare neck.

“It’s tuned.” He hummed and acted on his intrusive thoughts. He pulled you closer to him by your neck. “You know what would compliment this outfit? A collar.” His hand wrapped around your neck, and squeezed the tiniest bit, his veins bulging.

Your breath got caught in your throat as you tired to find your next words. “What kind?” Adam took another step, you chest now pushing against each other. “One with my name on it.”

Cocky bastard.

"20 MINUTES TILL SHOW TIME!” Someone called out from the hallways. Adam clenched his jaw in annoyance. “Ya wanna suck me off before I go on?” He said in a joking tone, but holy fuck that would take away about 85% of his problems. He was pent up. He wasn’t expecting you to do anything. You’d always brush away his sexual comments, which unsurprisingly was more often than not.

You raised a brow and started to unbutton his pants. “You have twenty minutes.” His hand on your throat tightened and you started to get on your knees.

You brought the zipper and started to pulled down with your teeth. Most girls he fucked tried to act innocent. Always looking at the package he had to offer as if it was the first dick they seen. But you — you looked up at him through your lashes, eyes begging. Like a fucking slut. You pulled his pants down a little — along with his boxers and started to pump him. Getting him hard but you did need to do it for long — seeing as he was already leaning precum.

Fuck if he had twenty minutes he was gonna make it worth it.

“I’ve gotten a hand job before babe, I prefer a blowjob.” He really couldn’t shut his mouth.

You brought your lips to his shaft and started to kiss him gentle, and so soft he shuttered. You continued to move you hand as you slowly took him in your mouth.

Your mouth was warm and you started to suck him off. You couldn’t fit him all the way in your mouth — fulling his ego more — so you made up with the inches you couldn’t fit with your hand.

Your hand twisted around him and you sucked harder, making him throw his head back in a groan. His Adams apple bobbed as he swallowed the moan wanting to escape.

“10 MINUTES!”

It was like a switch in Adam. He started to thrust into your mouth, desperately trying to release his frustration. Spit started to fall past your bottom lips — fuck, I need to be neat, you thought, insanely hot, Adam thought. You rest reached up and started to play with your nipples with your now free hands.

You could feel your gag reflex kicking, tightening your throat up. That had done it for Adam. “Fuck!” He poured himself into your mouth. Some dripped onto you lips and chin.

You looked up at licking you lips and wiping your chin with your pointer finger, before sucking that as well.

You throat had started to become sore. “THREE MINUTES! ANYONE SEEN ADAM?!” You looked to the door, but something caught your eye. Adams mask was under a desk. You crawled to it, seeing as it wasn’t far.

“If you don’t get up right now, I’m fucking you.”

You rolled your eyes and got up, handing Adam his mask.

Adam was wrong, it didn’t fix 85% of his problems. It fixed 100% of his issues. “TWO MINUTES!” That send Adam into over drive, but before he could put his mask on you grabbed his chin and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Your lipstick was ruined, but a kiss mark still showed on him face. “See you out there.” You grabbed tissues and walked out. Adam not far behind you.

—

Once the concert was over, Like normal you went to find Adam backstage. You stood behind him as he signed autographs. Your feet started to hurt from wearing play forms all day. Adam seemed to take notice.

“Take your shoes off.”

“And walk bare foot on this ground?” You raised you brow to him as if he was insane. Adam rolled his eyes and bent down on one knee in front of you.

He started to take your shoes off, you did little protest, happy to get them off. He then took off his own shoes and put your feet in them. Tying them tightly so they wouldn’t fall off.

Fans started to look in shock, people started to take photos while other glared in envy.

You kind of half expected Adam to wear your shoes — you didn’t know why — but he didn’t. He carried them for you and when you two left the building he slung an arm around you. “So this means we’re dating.” Even though it didn’t sound like a question, it was.

“If you can get Lutes blessing, sure.”

—

Fuck. Adam hadn’t tried to ever convince someone of something so much before. He spent a total of 5 months proving himself to Lute. Proving himself to you. He could see why Lute wouldn’t trust him. He was a huge playboy but in those five months he gave that up. Only wanting one.

So when Lute gave him his blessing to date you, another five months later he was asking for your hand in marriage. To which you both called him deranged.

—

Ahhhh I hope that was good? I feel like the ending was rushed so I may edit this sometime in the future

#hazbin hotel #hazbin #masterlist #x reader #adam hazbin hotel #adam is actually hilarious #adam x reader #goth #goth reader #goth gf #Adam x goth reader

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mollysolo · 9 months

Text

You’ve Bewitched Me

Pairing: Bucky Barnes X fem!Reader

Summary: Bucky accidentally falls asleep on your shoulder on his train ride home and it leads to something very unexpected.

Warnings: Bucky and the reader not knowing each other at first, Bucky falling asleep on the readers shoulder, awkwardness/nervousness, strangers to friends-ish to lovers, Bucky being old & not the best at using technology, kissing, implied smut, mentions of aftercare, Bucky gets hurt during a mission

Word Count: 8.4k

a/n: i hope y’all like this!

the gif below does not belong to me

You spaced out a little as you sat down in the train that would eventually take you to your stop. You were feeling incredibly tired in this moment after all of the work you’d had to complete during your shift today. All you wanted was to get home, eat dinner, take a shower, change into your pajamas then go to sleep. And while you were very tired, you still maintained your consciousness, not wanting to fall asleep around a bunch of strangers.

You were still aware of your surroundings and the stop announcements overhead but you were spaced out enough that at first you didn’t notice the gorgeous man who sat down next to you in the last free seat.

Bucky briefly looked at you as he sat down, noticing the spaced out look on your face and the earbuds in your ears. Which he could hear the sound of music by a more recent artist whom he had probably never heard of coming out of.

Moments later once you had seen this man in your peripheral vision, you allowed yourself to take a peak at him after you had blinked a few times, your curiosity getting the best of you for a second. And when your eyes did meet him, they widened a little bit. He was gorgeous, you had never seen someone as attractive as him.

And if you were being honest with yourself, you didn’t really think much of him taking the last empty seat that just so happened to be next to you. You were used to seeing the cars just filled with people this time of day.

So you put your attention back onto the window across from you, taking your eyes off of the man who was still sat to your left and looking at the scenery that passed the train instead. But you noticed the longer you two sat there, waiting for your stops, the more his eyelids had began to droop.

He fought sleep for a few minutes before letting his body finally rest. And when he did fall asleep, he stirred a little bit and began to rest his head on your shoulder, causing you to freeze up like a deer in headlights. You peaked over at him again, he was completely asleep now and probably didn’t fall asleep on you on purpose, this reassuring thought making your shoulders relax a bit.

And while you didn’t know this man, you decided that you would wake him up a few stops before your own, hoping that he wouldn’t be too far from his stop when you did wake him up. But you froze up again when he unknowingly snuggled into you in his unconscious state. Which caused you to make another decision.

When you did wake him up, you would only say that he fell asleep on you if it came up. You wouldn’t include the part where he began to cuddle with you, for his sake.

As you sat there with him, you couldn’t help but start to fall in love with this man. Even though you knew nothing about him, not even his name. You hoped you’d get the confidence to introduce yourself to him after you woke him up.

———————————

About ten minutes later, you were now three stops away from your stop and it was now the time for you to wake up the very attractive man sleeping on your shoulder. You hoped your interaction wouldn’t be too awkward once he did wake up.

First, you took you paused your music and took your headphones out. Then, you started to gently poke at his shoulder that was not pressed to you and you quietly spoke to him, “Excuse me.” you said a couple times as you kept poking his shoulder, causing him to abruptly wake up.

And as he woke up, his head still lingered on your shoulder for a few more seconds before he moved it. He then looked over at you again once he was fully conscious, “Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you.” he said, a bit of an awkward tone to his voice as he looked at you.

You softly smiled at him and in that moment he felt as though he had been bewitched by you and your beauty. “It’s alright. Don’t worry about it.” you replied, that soft smile still on your face, making him feel a little at ease.

He awkwardly smiled back at you, still feeling bad for falling asleep on you. But you didn’t really mind whatsoever, accidents happen. You then stuck your hand out and spoke to him again, “I’m (y/n), by the way.” you told him, introducing yourself with a friendly tone to your voice. He smiled to himself at the sound of your name, liking the way it sounded in his head.

He took your hand in his and shook it for a few seconds before letting go. And while your hand was in his, you noticed that besides the pair of gloves he was wearing, his hands were a lot bigger than yours. Which caused butterflies to appear in your stomach because of that very thought.

He nodded, “I’m Bucky. It’s nice to meet you.” he replied once he had let go of your hand, trying to sound friendly as well like Sam had suggested. But he just ended up sounding awkward, making you smile at him again.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Bucky.” you said as you looked into his enchanting blue eyes, liking the way his name sounded when you said it.

And after hearing the most recent overhead stop announcement, he felt calm with the idea that he wouldn’t have to be awkwardly sat next to you, this beautiful stranger for much longer.

But when his stop was announced and he stood up from his seat, so did you. You awkwardly smiled at each other as the train came to a stop and you held onto the metal bar above your heads.

And before you went off to the exit closest to your apartment, you waved goodbye to Bucky, “Bye, Bucky.” you said while you sent another smile and wink his way, causing his cheeks to heat up a bit.

He silently waved back at you with a soft smile on his own face before turning back around. Under other circumstances, he would’ve liked to interact with you more. But given the awkward way you two met, he decided to keep the rest of your interaction short and sweet.

But he promised himself that if he ever did see you on the train again that he’d talk to you more, he’d start the conversation and hopefully at some point he would get the courage to ask for your number.

Why on earth would a super solider like him could get nervous over asking someone out? Bucky thought as he continued to walk towards his exit.

But the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. No one had taken romantic interest in him since the 40’s and he didn’t really know what to do about it. Especially when someone as beautiful as you was being so kind to him and treating him like he was a normal person. He liked that about you.

While you walked to your apartment, you thought of how Bucky looked at you like you were an actual person and not something for him to eat. He treated you with actual respect, even if he was a bit awkward. And though he was doing the bare minimum, you still liked that about him.

If you did end up seeing him again, maybe you’d actually give romance a chance this time around. And if Bucky was interested in you in that way, maybe he would be different compared to the men you’ve gone out with in the past. But for now, all you could do was hope that your love life would actually go the way you wanted it to.

———————————

The following morning when you got on the train again to head to work, you saw Bucky again, the sight of him making you smile. This time, he was sitting by himself with a book in his hands and the only free seat was next to him.

And before you went to sit down, you let yourself admire him for a few seconds. In the morning sunlight, his eyes looked like the most beautiful crystal you would ever see. Everything about this man bewitched you, in every sense of the word.

You then quickly walked over to the empty seat next to Bucky before anyone could claim it. And when you did sit down, Bucky looked up as he saw you coming in his peripheral vision and he had recognized the scent of your perfume. This time, he smiled at you and spoke to you first, causing a fluttery feeling to bloom in your chest.

“Hey. It’s nice to see you again.” he said to you, the dark timbre in his voice causing goosebumps to appear on your arms, making you feel glad that you were wearing a long sleeve shirt today.

“Hi, Bucky. It’s nice to see you again too.” you replied, instantly smiling back at the gorgeous man sitting next to you.

As for a majority of the ride, the two of you continued your conversion and got to know a little more about each other. Where you were from, how old you were, what you did for a living. And surprisingly when Bucky revealed what he did for a living, you weren’t too shocked as his face had seemed familiar to you and you had noticed how hard his left shoulder had felt when you had poked it the day before.

Bucky felt a bit relieved to know that you weren’t that shocked now that you knew exactly who he was, he didn’t want you to be afraid of him. But before Bucky knew it, he had just a few more minutes left until his stop. So he decided to be brave and ask you for your number, wanting to wait a little while longer until he asked you out on a date. He didn’t want to come off as creep after all, but you’d never see him in that way.

He then turned his body slightly so that it was facing yours, “Sorry if this comes off too strong, but I was wondering if I could possibly get your number? I know we still barely know each other, but I really like you, (y/n) and I’d like to get to know you better if that’s okay with you?” he asked you as he raised his eyebrows in anticipation.

You smiled at him as he nervously asked you this. To see a man as attractive and powerful as him act nervous was cute to you. It showed that he wasn’t above everyone like the news portrayed him to be.

You nodded with a smile, “Sure, Bucky. I really like you too.” you answered, your own nervousness popping up as you spoke to him.

“Okay cool.” he quickly said as he pulled his phone out of his pocket, unlocked it, opened the contacts app and handed his phone to you.

You slowly took his phone from him, not wanting to risk dropping it and as you did, your hands brushed up against each other. And while it may have been 7am, this simple touch made you feel as if your whole body was on fire and your hands shook a little, showing Bucky the affect he had on you.

He subtly smirked at you as you created a new contact on your phone and typed in your number as well as your name before hitting save. And once you had given his phone back to him, he spoke again, “I’ll text you so that you have my number.” he told you.

He typed out the words “Hey, it’s Bucky!” and added a smiley emoji at the end then hit send. Seconds later you felt your phone vibrate in your pocket and you took it out, “Got it!” you made him known once you had turned your phone on and looked at your lock screen.

Then the moment he had been dreading all morning happened, his stop was announced and he would have to leave you and go to work. He dreaded this as he’d much rather talk to you all day then argue with Sam or awkwardly talk to Tony.

“Well, this is my stop.” he said to you as he stood up, prompting you to softly frown at him. You then looked up into his eyes from your seat, “Bye, handsome. I’ll text you, okay?” you replied, causing his cheeks to heat up again at the sound of the new nickname you had for him.

“Alright, doll. I’ll see you later.” he said with a wink before he exited the train, using this as his chance to make you feel all flustered. Which worked in his favor now that he knew about the affect he had on you.

And as you sadly watched him leave, you couldn’t help but think about what you two could become now that you were officially in each others lives.

And again you hoped that this would go the way you wanted it to. You wanted to have Bucky in your life in anyway that you could, even if you just ended up being friends. Even that would be enough for you. But you hoped more than anything that you and Bucky would eventually become lovers.

Before you got off at your own stop, you took a quick selfie and sent it to him. Following with the word “Hi!” and a smiley emoticon, the nervousness of a man like him actually being interested in you like this coursing through your body.

But you knew that you’d get over this nervousness eventually. At least, that’s what you were aiming for.

———————————

You and Bucky had sent a few texts to each other throughout the day, not wanting to bother the other person too much while you were working. But you both noticed as you worked, that you couldn’t wait to go home so that could possibly see each other on the train that evening.

But when Bucky got on the train that evening at 5:30pm which was a little after the time it was when you two first met the day before, you weren’t there. He waited a few stops and you still hadn’t shown up. So he texted you just to make sure that everything was alright.

Bucky: Is everything alright? You aren’t on the train ride home tonight.

You responded to his text a few minutes later, those butterflies reappearing in your stomach at the thought of him being worried about you. No guy you had been with in the past had actually cared enough about you to send this kind of text.

Y/N: I’m alright, don’t worry. I got caught up in some extra paperwork so my boss ordered an Uber to take me home. :)

Reading these words made Bucky let out a breath he didn’t even know he was holding. He was relieved to know that everything was alright and you had just stayed late at work.

After being in his line of work for as long as he has, he easily worried about the people he cared about. Which was a small number, but still it would destroy him if you got hurt and he wasn’t there to protect you.

Bucky: Good, just wanted to make sure you were okay. Call me when you get home? 😊

Y/N: Of course, I’d miss talking you to you if I didn’t. I’m in the Uber now, I’ll talk to you soon. ❤️

Now, Bucky could really let himself relax on the way home. Which luckily was only a few minutes away now. And the second he did arrive at his stop, he quickly walked back to his apartment, not wanting to risk missing your call in the event that you got somehow got home before he did.

———————————

Once you got home twenty minutes after Bucky had initially gotten off of the train, you set your bag down by the door and took your shoes off before heading to sit on your couch.

And while you hadn’t known Bucky for long, you already missed his face. So as you got settled on your couch, you decided to FaceTime him instead, hoping that his friend Sam that he had mentioned had taught him how to use the app.

You wanted to feel closer to him even when you were both at home and tired from the day of work you’d had. You tapped on the camera icon next to his contact name and after a few rings, he answered, displaying that handsome face you had missed all day.

His phone moved around a little as he started to talk to you, “Doll? Can you see me?” he asked, making you laugh. Which was like the most beautiful symphony he had ever heard, he could truly listen to your voice and your laugh forever.

You continued to laugh as you answered his questions, “Yes, I can see you, Bucky.” you answered, just a smile lingering on your face now.

He laughed a little at himself, “Sorry, I’ve never used this app before.” he told you as he admired your beauty through his phone screen. You smiled at that, “That’s alright, don’t worry about it. You’ll get used to using it eventually.” you assured him as you stared right back at him.

For the rest of the call, you talked to each other about how your days had been. Bucky had talked about how he’d have to leave to go on a mission next Saturday but he’d try to get better with the whole FaceTime thing so that he could still talk to you and see your beautiful face. At least that’s how he put it, his compliment making you blush.

And you had complained to him about how you’d been tasked with dealing more paperwork. Bucky had assured you that you’d probably get a promotion after all of that hard work and he jokingly said that he would have a talk with your boss if you didn’t, making you laugh again.

The two of you FaceTimed for a little while longer while you made dinner for yourself in your own apartments and later ate together. But once you had both finished eating, you knew that it was time to end the call for the night.

You looked back at him on your phone screen and smiled, “Anyway, I gotta go shower and get ready for bed. But I’ll text you, Bucky.” you told him as you leaned on the doorframe to your bedroom.

You chuckled a little at the grumpy look that had appeared on his face when you told him you had to go. He liked talking to you this way, he liked talking to you in general. But he’d let you go for now, one question still weighing heavy on his mind.

“Alright but before you go, there’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you.” he made known to you, making your eyebrows start to raise in anticipation like his had when he asked you for your number that morning.

“What is it, Bucky?” you asked him, feeling a bit impatient now that you knew that he had something he wanted to ask you.

“Well this isn’t how I’d prefer to do this but I’d rather not wait until Monday to see you again, I was wondering if you’d like to go out on a date with me tomorrow night?” he asked, making those pesky butterflies appear in your stomach yet again.

You nodded in response right away, “I’d love to, Bucky. I’ll text you my address later.” you answered, a cute smile of his own appearing on his face as you spoke.

Then after you said your drawn out goodbyes and hung up, you set your phone down on your bedside table and walked to your bathroom to take that shower you had mentioned to Bucky just minutes ago.

———————————

Upon re-entering your room after you had taken a shower, done your skincare routine and changed into your pajamas, you plopped yourself onto your bed and grabbed your phone from your bedside table.

You opened you and Bucky’s conversation again and sent him your address. He replied to your message almost right away with a selfie, which was very unlike him. He looked good, really good. In the photo, he was laying down on his bed looking at the camera with a subtle smirk on his lips.

And in this moment all you wanted to do was kiss him, but knew it was a little soon to be going after stuff like that with him. After all, you had only known each other for two days at this point. So you held yourself back a bit, at least for now.

Y/N: So handsome. 😮‍💨

He blushed at your message once he read it and in return you sent him a selfie of your own. Similar to him, your were laying in your bed and looking at the camera like he had been. But what you didn’t know is that seeing this photo of you, made Bucky feel as if his body had been set on fire, he felt like he was falling harder for you than he had been before. And your texts and FaceTime call only solidified this.

The more he looked at that photo of you, the more he felt like he could imagine what you would look like in his space or what you would look like when he finally kisses you for the first time. He hadn’t felt this way in years and now that he had you, he never wanted to let you go. He didn’t want anyone else. He just wanted you.

Bucky: Gorgeous, gorgeous girl.

What Bucky had sent back had made you feel all flustered for what felt like the millionth time since you two met. But you knew that it would probably be a good idea to go to bed now before you got ahead of yourself. You didn’t think it was the right moment to start sending Bucky the suggestive messages that you wanted to send when you hadn’t even kissed yet.

Y/N: Thank youuu.

Y/N: I’ll talk to you in the morning, Bucky. Goodnight ❤️

His next message made you smile, happy to see that the reserved man you had met on the train two days ago was starting to get more comfortable when talking to you.

Bucky: I can’t wait to see you tomorrow. Sweet dreams, doll. ❤️

His new nickname for you made you feel as if you were bursting at the seems with the feelings you had for him. But before you thought about what he had called you too much and kept yourself up all night, you plugged your phone in, turned the lights in your room off, put your phone down and went to sleep.

That night you dreamed of Bucky and what your first date tomorrow night could hold. And when you awoke the next morning, you hoped that your date would would be as magical as that dream. But as long as you were with Bucky, you already knew it would be.

———————————

It was now 5pm on Saturday evening, the day of your date and Bucky had texted you that morning to tell you that he’d pick you up at 6pm. So before you ran out of too much time, you got out of bed and began to get ready for your first date with the handsome man.

You first did the makeup look that you thought suited your features the best and made you look beautiful, except for any lipstick as you hadn’t brushed your teeth yet. Then you retrieved a classy black dress from your closet that you’d had for a little while and put it on, quickly reaching behind yourself to zip it up.

And once it was comfortably situated on your body, you went over to your bathroom and started to style your hair. After playing around with possible hairstyles for a few minutes, you decided to go with just leaving all of your hair down once you had combed/brushed it out again.

And while you brushed your teeth, you slid your heels on, feeling extremely excited for the night ahead with Bucky. No one had ever made you feel the way Bucky did and you took that as a good sign that things between the two of you would work out. You were truly a fool for him and even though you had only known him for 3 days, you already felt like you were falling in love with him.

Bucky also thought about the love he already had for you as he got ready for tonight in his own apartment. He had put on a black on black suit that he hadn’t worn since Tony’s last gala a few months ago. He’d gotten a lot of compliments on it when he had worn it to that particular gala and he wanted to see what you thought when you saw him in it. He wanted to look good for you.

Right after he finished getting dressed, he went over to his bathroom and did his hair how he normally did it. His hair was a lot shorter than it used to be and he didn’t really have much to do with it now.

And as you had done, he then brushed his teeth and slipped his dress shoes on. Then sprayed some cologne on himself, grabbed his phone and headed out the door.

And while you were applying the finishing touches to your lipstick after you had sprayed some perfume onto yourself, someone knocked on your front door, signaling to you that Bucky was now here. So you grabbed your purse — with your phone in it — and quickly walked over to your front door.

When you opened the door — your purse hanging from your shoulder — Bucky’s jaw dropped in shock. He had never seen someone so beautiful, so ethereal, he never wanted to look away from you. He’d stare at you for years and years if he could.

“Hey.” you said to him, a soft smile on your lips after you did some admiring of your own. He looked incredible, so handsome and regal as he stood just outside your apartment with a bouquet of flowers in hand.

He took a deep breath, “Wow, Doll, look at you. You’re so beautiful.” he replied, his sweet compliments making you blush and shyly smile at him. He spoke up again a moment later, “Oh, these are for you by the way.” he said as he handed the flowers to you.

You grinned at him, “Thank you, Bucky. These are beautiful.” you said, unknowingly prompting him to compliment you again as you went to put them in your kitchen. “Not as beautiful as you, doll.” he said as you rejoined him at the doorway, then grabbing one of your hands and pressing a soft kiss to the back of it, making goosebumps appear on your arms.

“You ready to go?” you asked him as you began to wrap your hand around the part of your doorknob that faced the hallway. He nodded right away and briefly placed his hands in his pockets, “I’m ready when you are, sweet girl.” he replied, adding another nickname that made you smile at him again.

You then closed your front door behind you and locked it, “Alright then, let’s go.” you told him, gently taking his right hand in yours, giving it a gentle squeeze as a way of reassuring him about his metal arm. You did this because Bucky had gone without his usual black gloves tonight and you wanted him to know that you weren’t afraid of him or his arm.

He squeezed your hand back and led you down the hallway to the elevator he had taken up to the floor your apartment is on, silently telling you that he knew you weren’t afraid of him.

He stayed close to you the whole time you walked to his car, making you question why he rode the subway everyday if he had a car until you got inside and you saw the Stark logo on the big screen in the car. You assumed that he had borrowed it from Tony for tonight, which only made your heart swell with love. He just wanted this night to be perfect for the two of you.

———————————

After a short 15 minute drive, Bucky parked the car outside of a fancy looking restaurant. And once the car had been turned off, Bucky got out of the car, ran around to your side to open your door and help you get out.

The two of you held hands as you walked into the restaurant and up to the hostess’ podium. “James Barnes, table for two.” he simply said, prompting the hostess who had been standing there to check their reservation book for his name.

“Ah, Mr. Barnes. Right this way.” she said, motioning for the two of you to follow her to your table.

Your table was in a more quiet part of the restaurant, away from the loud groups of people that had come in that evening. Bucky held your hand the whole way there, even as the hostess set your menu’s down on the table.

“Your waiter will be with you soon. Enjoy!” she said with a friendly smile before walking back to the hostess’ podium in the front of the restaurant.

And before you could pull out your own chair and sit down, Bucky had appeared behind you and pulled your chair out for you. Then he slowly pushed it in until you were sat down after you had stood in front of it. Seconds later, he took his own seat across from you, the small light from the fake candle on the table bouncing off of his eyes as he looked at you.

“So, James.” you teasingly said as looked at him over your menu, a light smirk on your lips. He chuckled a little at your theatrics, “My name is actually James, but most people call me Bucky.” he explained, resulting in you nodding in response.

Just seven minutes later, your waiter for the night appeared and introduced themself before asking if you were ready to order. Which you were and once they had disappeared with your menus, Bucky reached over the table and took your hand in his as you two began to get to know each other better.

You told each other everything about yourselves, not feeling the need to hide anything from each other. Only briefly going silent when your waiter came back with your food or one of you took a bite of the meal you had ordered. And the more either of you talked, the more you both felt like you had known each other for years.

———————————

Two hours later, after your meals had been finished long ago and the two of you had just finished the desert you decided to share, Bucky had paid the bill and it was unfortunately time to leave. You didn’t want this date to ever end, you wanted to stay with Bucky forever.

He didn’t want to leave you either. Since Steve left him and went back to the past, Bucky really hadn’t felt understood or seen or liked but then you waltzed into his life and showed him what it was like to feel all of those things again. He never wanted to let go of you for as long as he lived.

After another short fifteen minute car ride, you two were back at your apartment building. And like he had done when you got to the restaurant, Bucky helped you get out of the car once more and he held his hand in yours while he took you back up to your apartment.

And when you did reach your apartment, you faced your front door for a moment then turned around to face Bucky agaun. “I don’t want you to leave.” you admitted with a groan, a sad look on your face as you looked at him.

He used your hand that was still in his to gently pull you closer to him. He placed his hands on your face and tipped your head up so that your eyes met his. “I know, I don’t want to leave you either, doll. But I promise that’s I’ll try to get good at the whole FaceTime thing so you don’t miss me too much.” he replied as he continued to hold your face in his hands.

You chuckled at that, “Okay.” you quietly said to him and placed your hands over his own, your thumbs stroking the backs of his hands.

Bucky’s eyes then went from your eyes down to your lips up to your eyes and back to your lips again. Feeling a bit impatient, you simply said, “Kiss me, Bucky. Please.” And before you could possibly do anything else, Bucky leaned down and pressed his lips to yours.

The moment his lips left yours, you felt the urge to chase them again and again. You couldn’t get over how good his lips felt against your own. But again, you didn’t want to get ahead of yourself this early into knowing him. So you pulled away from his lips again and settled on giving him one more kiss on his cheek instead, leaving a kiss print there because of your lipstick.

Bucky smiled at the feeling of your lips on his cheek and gave you one last kiss of his own tonight, this time on your forehead as he started to hold your hand again. “Goodnight, doll.” he said as started to walk away from you, not letting go of your hand until he was too far away to reach you.

“Goodnight, Bucky.” you replied, blowing him a kiss as he got closer and closer to the elevator. He caught the kiss and put it in his pocket, making that smile of yours that he loved so much reappear on your face.

At this point, you felt so lovesick whenever you saw or thought of him. You didn’t how much longer you could hold yourself back. All you wanted was him. He was all that you could have ever wanted and more.

———————————

Not long after Bucky had dropped you off, you had started to take your makeup off and while you were doing so, you heard your phone receive a text from Bucky. But you’d look at it later once you had gotten all of your makeup off and you were in your pajamas.

Once you had finished wiping all of your makeup off, you put some moisturizer on your finger tips and began to gently massage it into the skin on your face. You massaged any remaining product onto your neck and arms afterwards. You then slipped your dress off and threw it into your nearby laundry bin, discarding it a pair of shorts and a baggy t shirt instead.

Then you got under the covers on your bed and grabbed your phone again. Bucky had sent you a selfie he had taken in the car before he left. In the photo, the right side of his face was pointed towards the camera — the kiss print you had left there on display — and a grumpy look on his face.

You smiled at how cute he looked in the photo and hearted the message. Everything this man did made your stomach flip and you never wanted to let go of him or that feeling.

Y/N: Aww, that shade looks so good on you.

Your response made a smile of his own appear on his face as he read the way you teased him through a text. He was so in love with you already but he knew better than to tell you this now.

Bucky: Thanks, doll. 🙄

You admired the way he seemed to match your energy in this moment, not making anything awkward by any means. You liked the way he teased you back.

———————————

For the next six days until Bucky would have to leave for his mission, you spent as much time as possible together every single day whenever you had any free time.

You went out to lunch together multiple times, Bucky hung out at your place a couple times after work and you did the same at his place on a couple other days, you cuddled, kissed more, watched movies together.

But now it was Friday night and Bucky would have to leave for his mission in the morning. So, you decided to give him a special surprise tonight.

On the train ride home that evening, you told Bucky to come over to your place at 7pm because you had a surprise for him. That surprise being a black lacy lingerie set that you were currently hiding under a robe. You couldn’t wait to see the look on his face when you took the robe off.

And at 7pm like you had requested, Bucky showed up at your apartment, nervousness coursing through his system as he knocked on your front door a few times.

You opened the door moments later and leaned against the doorframe as you greeted him, “Hey.” you said, a smirk on your face.

You hadn’t even taken the robe off yet and Bucky’s jaw had already dropped. He was just so in awe of your beauty, even as you took his hand in yours and led the way to your bedroom, the lights throughout your home now on a dimmer setting.

When you reached your bedroom, he noticed that there were a few small fake candles sitting on both of your bedside tables and a speaker on your dresser that was quietly playing mood music. You then swapped places with him so that you were standing closer to the door instead and you placed a hand on his chest, gently pushing him back towards your bed.

“Lay down for me, Bucky.” you requested and he obeyed right away, eager to see what you were hiding under that robe.

You then closed your bedroom door behind you and started to untie the loose knot at your waist. And once the knot had been undone, you slowly slid the robe down your body until it hit the hardwood floor below you.

You looked so beautiful to Bucky in this moment, the lingerie set you were wearing hugged your curves in all the right ways and made you look perfect, like a dream come true. “Oh, doll. Come here.” he requested with a groan after he had swallowed thickly. And like he had, you obeyed this request right away.

You seductively walked over to him and started to straddle his lap, causing Bucky to sit up and place his hands on your hips before he then started to softly rub your sides with his large hands. You let out a soft moan as his hands went down to your ass and gave it a firm squeeze.

He placed his nose in the crook of your neck and inhaled, “You’re so beautiful, doll. I could just eat you.” he said as he pressed a passionate kiss to your lips.

His lips then trailed down from your lips to your jaw, to your neck, to your collarbone and over to your shoulder where he slid a finger under one of the straps, letting it snap against your skin.

You were already so wet for him and he had barely touched you. And going off of the way he felt under you whenever you moved your hips, he was already rock hard in his pants even though you had barely touched him.

“So what are you waiting for?” you asked him, awakening something feral in him as his pupils became even bigger.

———————————

Later that night after you and Bucky had both came multiple times, he began to take care of you. He first gently parted from you and got up from your bed, despite your whining and begging for him to stay in bed with you.

He put his boxers back on and went to your bathroom to retrieve a washcloth that he could wet with warm water in your sink.

Once rejoining you in your bedroom, he kneeled in front of you on your bed and gently parted your legs. Then as gently as he possibly could, he wiped you in between your legs, not wanting to make you feel overstimulated.

He left you for one more quick moment to hang the cloth up in your bathroom, mentally reminding himself to put it in to your laundry bin the next morning.

This time when he rejoined you in your bedroom, he slowly put your tired body under the covers and got under them as well. He pulled your body close to his, letting you rest your head and one of your hands on his chest while you put one of your legs over both of his and you let your sleepiness take over.

And once you were comfortable, he too got comfortable. And that night you fell asleep, safe in his arms, never feeling as safe or loved as you did when he held you.

———————————

The next morning, at 6am Bucky slowly slipped you out of his arms and headed back to his apartment to grab the bag he would need before he left for his mission. But before he left you, he got dressed, pressed a kiss to your forehead, left a note behind on the bedside table closest to you and of course put the washcloth he had used last night in your laundry bin.

And now that Bucky actually had someone to come home to, he promised himself that he would do everything in his power to be safe and come back to you, alive and in one piece.

You woke up not long after Bucky left as if you could detect his absence, your bed felt cold without him in it. But before you got too sad, you spotted the note he had left for you. It read:

(y/n),

I’m sorry I had to leave so soon, I needed to grab my go bag from my apartment before I left for that mission I told you about. I’ll see you soon, doll. I promise.

- Bucky

This note eased some of your worries. But you had to admit, you did still feel a bit worried for Bucky now that he was off on that mission.

What if he got seriously injured? What would you do if never came back to you? You didn’t have answers to either of those questions because you had already become too attached to Bucky to even think of what your life would be like without him in it.

———————————

A few days later after you had gotten home from work, you had gotten a call from a number you didn’t recognize so you let it go to voicemail. The voicemail the person attempting to contact you left appeared on your phone just a minute later.

And as you listened to it, your breath and hands became shaky, you started to tear up and anxiety coursed its way through your body. This couldn’t be happening, your worst nightmare had become reality.

The person who had left the voicemail said, “Hey, this is Sam, Bucky’s friend. Listen, we had to come home early because Bucky got stabbed, it was pretty bad. But he’s going to be fine, Dr. Banner was able to stop the bleeding and is stitching him right now in his apartment. I know you probably weren’t expecting this but Bucky insisted that I pick you up and take you to his apartment, you’re the only person he wants to see right now. I’ll meet you at the entrance to your building in 10.” Sam told you in his voicemail.

You were relieved to know that he was going to be okay but it still broke your heart to hear that Bucky had gotten hurt badly. You wished you could put a protective bubble around him so that he could never get hurt again. But you knew that injuries like this were part of his job and he probably wouldn’t want you to be worrying about him so much.

But there was no time to waste crying in your apartment, so you put a pair of sneakers on, grabbed your apartment keys and your phone and headed out the door to meet Sam downstairs. When you got into Sam’s car, he frowned at the look on your face. He felt bad that hearing what had happened to Bucky had made you feel so distraught.

As he started up his car again, he turned to you, “Hey, he’s going to be okay. Bucky’s been through much worse in the past and plus he’s got that super soldier serum in his veins to make him heal faster than either of us ever could.” Sam assured you, his joke about the super soldier serum making you chuckle a little.

———————————

Upon arriving at Bucky’s apartment building, Sam led the way up to Bucky’s apartment. He unlocked the door for you and let you in. But before he left, he said one more thing to you, “If either of you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me. Okay?” he said, his eyebrows raising a little bit.

You nodded and briefly tapped his shoulder twice with your hand, “I will. Thanks, Sam.” you replied, a soft smile on your face. He nodded back at you in response and you headed into Bucky’s apartment, closing and locking the door behind you.

You walked into what you assumed was his bedroom because it was the only room with any light in it. You slowly approached his bedside, Bucky was asleep and that Dr. Banner guy Sam had mentioned was gone so you assumed that everything was okay now.

You frowned as you looked down at him but you couldn’t bear to be apart from him any longer so you slipped your shoes off, turned the lamp next to him off and got under the covers with Bucky. Underneath the blanket, his shirt had rode up a little, revealing to you the stitches in the moonlight coming in through his curtains. Which caused your hands to get shaky again, but you assured yourself that he would be okay.

You didn’t want to wake him up after all him and his body had just gone through on that mission. So you just placed a light kiss on his cheek and went to sleep next to him.

———————————

The following morning, Bucky woke you up after he had turned over and saw you sleeping in his bed. He softly stroked your cheek with his thumb while he quietly spoke your name, “(y/n).” he said, repeating your name a few more times until you woke up.

And when you did, you sat up in his bed right away, taking his face in your hands and pressing a bruising kiss to his lips. “I’m so glad you’re okay. How are you feeling?” you asked him, a somewhat frantic tone to your voice.

He calmed you by slowly removing your hands from his face, placing his hands on your face instead and moving your head down a little so that you were looking directly into his eyes. “I’m alright, doll. You don’t have to worry about me.” he answered with a soft smile, causing you to let out a deep breath.

And as you spoke again, he started to stroke one of your cheeks with his thumb, “I just got so worried that I’d loose you, Bucky. I’m glad that you came back to me.” you explained, giving Bucky the need to slowly pull you into lap, still being careful with his stitches.

He smiled a little at the last sentence of your statement, “Me too. But you’ll never loose me, (y/n). I’ll always come back to you, as long as you’ll have me.” he assured you, his hand gently rubbing your back as you loosely wrapped your arms around his neck.

“I’ll always want you around, Bucky. You’re not getting rid of me that easily.” you made known to him as your arms tightened around him and you started to hug him, Bucky’s rubbing on your back never stopping as you spoke to him and he eventually hugged you back.

He laughed at your theatrics, causing you to laugh with him. You then removed your head from where it was tucked next to his when you were hugging him and you looked into his eyes again, “I know we still haven’t known each other for that long. But after what happened to you, I can’t go on without saying this to you, even if you don’t say it back. I love you so, so much, Bucky. I need you to know that.” you confidently told him, mentally hoping that he would say it back and you hadn’t just made yourself look stupid.

Tears started to prick Bucky’s eyes when you said those special words to him. He then wrapped his arms around your ribs and pulled you even closer to him. “And I love you, doll. I have since the day we met, I swear.” he made known, making you tear up as well.

You then pressed another kiss to his lips before resting your forehead against his own, “Be my girl, (y/n). Please.” he begged, desperately wanting to call you his and have you call him yours.

“I already am.” you told him with another kiss to his cheek, prompting Bucky’s arms to reclaim their spot around your waist and pull you on top of him, making you yelp.

“Bucky!” you scolded, nervous that all of this movement would rip his stitches open. He chuckled at this nervousness, knowing that he was probably almost entirely healed because of the serum.

“I’m alright. You don’t need to worry about my stitches, sweetheart.” Bucky said, comforting you and making your worries disappear once more. “Okay, whatever you say.” you replied, dragging out that last word, causing Bucky to let out another laugh.

God, he was so in love with you.

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thesharktanksdriver · 1 year

Text

a Magical Girl and the justice league 1 (platonic)

Part 1 part 2 part 3

Tagged: @harpy-space @mxtokko @viviyene

I shall make a part 2 sometime for the other members is just cause this already took me long enough lol

Also I’ll probably make one but for the light

It’s about a month after your initial adoption by Bruce that he knocks at your door one day

After you welcome him in your now adoptive father pokes his head in, a once empty storage room now full of personality and life

It makes him smile, especially as you you breathed a new sense of life not only here but also across the manor

As it turns out Superman, has practically been begging Bruce to bring you to the next Justice league meeting

And while Bruce wasn’t demanding you to go, he asked if you’d join (only if you were comfortable with it though) in the next few days

Safe to say you didn’t hesitate to say yes

Like fuck yeah your going, your not missing the opportunity to meet Wonder Woman…oh and the other ones

(Across the world several hero’s felt a chill go down their spine yet didn’t know why)

Each day you get more excited, your practically buzzing with excitement throughout the day and into the night

It gets to the pint that everyone kinda notices especially since your usually kinda stoic in the sense you control your emotions

It truly makes you seem like your age for once, bustling with energy and having a bright smile that makes your cheeks hurt after awhile

When he does take you (the others tried to convince him to let them come along he denied them) your extremely ecstatic

Your hand is slipped into Bruce’s, magical girl outfit practically sparkling in contrast to his grim and dark uniform

Safe to say it’s a culture shock to the rest of the league when the doors open to reveal you and Bruce

Y’all have the complete opposite aesthetic of the entire Batfam

You sit down, scooting your chair to a more comfortable distance near Bruce who hides a smile at the sight

Though the entire league is talking about serious stuff it’s obvious what their actually paying attention to

Your lightly kicking your feet under the table, Rigel curled around your neck and furiously taking note about what everyone says (lol)

You even colour code the entire transcript of the meeting

When the entire meeting is over and things have been discussed, Bruce is like “oh yeah this is my new kid. Say hi y/n” “hi” “let’s get this over with”

And then you have several adults crowding you looking at you with awe

Clark aka superman is the first to introduce himself, he reminds you of a golden retriever with how bright his smile seems to shine

He’s friendly and gentle, a certain enthusiasm in his voice as he lightly hovers above you till you use your powers to do the same

Bruce is brewing in misery as you, him, Hal and Martian man Hunter form a hovering squad

As he talks to you he kinda sends some slightly passive aggressive jabs at Bruce

Kinda salty his best friend didn’t fucking tell him how he adopted again, and that he didn’t respond for the 15th time to bring the family to his farm

He’s really happy the Wayne household has someone who’s as calm and level minded as you

God knows the amount of times he’s lost sleep wondering how Alfred keeps that house afloat

Thinks your outfits really fun and adorable, especially finds it cool that you can magically change it at will

He has a soft spot for small animals (he secretly befriended a few possums when he was a kid) so he loves Rigel

You haven’t told him that Rigel is an inter-dimensional god yet and your not sure he’d believe you

Definitely tries to convince you to meet his son and visit much to the chagrin of Bruce

Listen, Bruce likes Clark but he can be a bit overbearing for his and most of his families nature

100% will offer you a slice of his apple pie that Lois packed for him

Half the league doubles takes cause he’s never done that before and the last time flash ate it he was brooding in the corner

No matter the situation if he sees you he’ll give a polite little wave and smile even if it’s during a battle

Like once he and Luther were going at it but then you casually strolled by, both stopped gave you a hello and then right back into their fight

His wallet has pictures of Jon, Connor and Kara, and he’ll spend an hour talking about them

For April fools you buy him green rock candy as a joke and he eats it in front of lex

That leads to Luthor having a fucking panic attack now thinking the ONE thing that could seemingly kill him was now basically nothing to him

He finds it really funny if you change your outfit to look like a mini him cause it makes everyone (but especially Bruce) poute

When you find out that the only thing that separates his identities is a pair of glasses you end up not believing it

Until green arrow chimes in and is like “yeah that’s it”

Your silently wondering if people in metropolis just know he’s superman but don’t acknowledge it

Your betting on it with Flash and Aquaman

As a joke you begin calling him overpowered and a “Gary stu”. He’s so confused but doesn’t say anything

You sometimes go to him for writing tips for essays since he’s a reporter

And he absolutely helps you get an A without any effort

Lois and the rest of the family really want to meet you and he makes his fact very apparent

When your class trip went to metropolis he definitely does a fly by for fun

It makes you smile at how he makes the class erupt with cheers

Is definitely concerned for your safety but also your mental health because of the amount of stress you have over being the only one able to kill the “shadowmites”

He’s definitely glad Bruce has taken you under his wing and your basically safe wherever you go since you have some inate ability to befriend literally everyone by accident

He doesn’t really like you being friends with certain villains but as long as their not hurting you then he’s not complaining

Wonder Woman aka Diana Aka your favourite definitely catches on that she’s the favourite

And not to brag, she’s totally lowkey happy about it lol

She’s been your favourite hero since you were a kid since she was one of the only female ones

She reminded you of the magical girl cartoons you’d watch for your only bit of joy in the day

Thus you have a lot of respect for her

She finds it really cute that you look up to her so much

Especially since your such an amazing young mind with a kind heart

She doesn’t need her lasso to get that your telling the truth when you talk about basically abandoning your life to save others

100% tells you about themyscira and the Amazon’s whom she calls sisters

Definitely like everyone else finds your outfits really cute especially when she’s surprised by something new each time

Like the others she’s silently worried for your mental health but is at least happy you now have Bruce and his kids to help you as best they can

Maybe started a bet about what other villains you’ll end up befriending

Her bets are on Klarion since she has a feeling you’ll work whatever magic you did on Damien who’s similar in the fact that he’s a chaotic ball of anger

While meeting her you kinda inched your chair closer to her, she noticed and thought it was sweet

Bruce definitely pulls her aside as your talking to the others and explains that yeah “your the favourite” which makes her laugh at his kinda sour expression

At some point she places her tiara on you and takes a photo cause your super happy

She might be testing the idea of maybe taking you back home for a weekend cause she knows everyone would be really happy to meet you

Since she’s kinda immortal you go to her sometimes for history projects

She’s always happy to help especially since she really enjoys talking of all the change she’s seen over the years

It kinda makes her feel fuzzy that someone is interested since she kinda assumes most people find history boring

Definitely lightly teases you about using her as a source for your project lol

One day you show up with your magical girl outfit somewhat resembling hers and she’s gonna treat you like your her mini me for the day

And all Bruce can do is watch with the expression of “this is my life now. My kid is getting adopted by others now as well”

He is content though with how happy you are and how you don’t seem to ever not be able to bring a smile to others as well

She’s kinda iffy on you being friends with villains but after seeing them full on pause as you pass by she’s a little better with dealing with it

But she does worry that you might be influenced by their behaviour

Also she 100% can tell Rigel isn’t a normal Ferret and is the only one of the league to actually believe you

She’s not sure where he’s from but she trusts the white fur ball enough we’re she knows they’ll protect you

Flash/Barry Allen is sliding near you at the justice league table and leaving little post it notes with doodles and making funny face when no one’s looking

What can he say?, he’s good with kids and your not an exception to that either

He’s kinda like a fun uncle

The one who’ll pick you up and place you on his shoulders before running around base

Out the then all he’s kinda the most laid back of the bunch

Sure he can still get serious when the time calls for it but on the other hand he’s a chill guy

He’s also the most in touch with stuff than the others so when you reference something he’s like “I get it!”

While the others stare at him in confusion as you high-five him

Sometimes you like asking hims questions about his powers and y’all try to test it out

Bruce has had to stop him many times and put him in the figurative time out corner

He finds it fucking hilarious when he once walked In on your practicing and you had a giant battle axe as your magical girl weapon

Gives you several nicknames like “sailor moon” or “madoka”

Y’all definitely watch anime on your phone when no one’s watching

He likes messing up your hair only to see it go back into being perfect about a second later

Kinda is now tempted to go to the future and see what you do later on in your life

So he can then tease you about while your looking at him confused

You like to joke that he does shit too fast and he jokes back that your just two slow

By god Bruce is gonna kill him if he begs one more time for permission to gift you knockoff merch of your persona for the 50th time this week-

Pranks…just gonna say be careful cause he’s already on thin ice after the last time he pulled one

He likes telling you stories about his nephew and how proud of him he is

He finds your outfit pretty neat especially since you can change it by will whenever you want

Please be warned though that having anything yellow and red themed may be a bit iffy for him

Bruce probably warns about that beforehand along with not bringing up Barry’s mom

Probably finds it funny that your hanging out with villains n shit

Like especially since your kinda bow just like a neutral ground/entity

Finds it hilarious the juxtaposition of your aesthetic and personality vs big bad Bruce

Rigel is his lil buddy and likes curling up on his shoulder

Kinda gets cosmic vibes from the ferret though

#platonic #dc x reader #batman x reader #bruce wayne x reader #wonder woman x reader #Diana king x reader #flash x reader #superman x reader #Barry Allen x reader #justice league x reader #Clark Kent x reader #magical girl y/n

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hp-hcs · 6 months

Note

Um, yeah, I don't really have a specific character in mind (so you can ignore this if u want to!), but how would some characters react to a male reader who listens to muggle music, but like- metal?? yk

this is the kind of shit i wanna see in my inbox hell fucking yeah

❕i’ll be honest, my vibe has always been more punk/pop punk/metalcore/hard rock 🤷‍♂️ i did my best buttttt these are all just songs from my playlist so- (i adore my slytherin babygirls but they’ll always be second to my lord and savior glenn danzig)❕

also accidentally wrote gn reader again so that’s pretty girlypop

requests open

i’ve never actually written one of these like, group headcanons for a whole bunch of people, but i keep seeing other people doing it so we’re trying it out ig. do we like it? yes? no?

slytherin boys: gn! muggleborn! reader’s music taste is rather…unexpected

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

mattheo: die, die my darling — misfits

i’m of the opinion that mattheo would fucking LOVE the misfits (once you introduce him)

he walks into your dorm to ask you a quick question, and you’re just dancing around in your room screaming the lyrics to:

“DIE DIE DIE MY DARLING, DONT UTTER A SINGLE WORD”

“DIE DIE, DIE MY DARLING, JUST SHUT YOUR PRETTY MOUTH”

he’s like 🧍‍♂️😦😍

and that’s when he falls in love with you

jk, unless????

you show him the misfits’ entire discography, and bitch about jerry only (as u should)

he takes a bit too much of a liking to helena 🤨

yk, the song that goes “if i cut off your arms, and i cut off your legs, would you still love me, anyway? if you’re bound and you’re gagged, draped and displayed, would you still love me, anyway?”

🤨🤨🤨

interesting, mattheo. interesting. not concerning in the slightest.

he adores them and you guys listen to their music together when you study <33

y’all start running around screaming I AINT NO GODDAMN SON OF A BITCH

your teachers love it <3

theodore: nazi punks fuck off — dead kennedys

y’all were showering together

(is that really like a sexy thing? i sure as fuck don’t know 🖤🩶🤍💜)

you started singing to yourself and babygirl was like 😳☺️

he loves ur voice <3

even when you’re singing “nazi punks, nazi punks, nazi punks FUCK OFF”

(cause like……yk…….he’s a wizard nazi himself 😬👍)

awkwarddddd

he always lets you put on your music

to be honest, he doesn’t really care about the lyrics, he just loves that you love it

(*cough* simp *cough*)

draco: possessed by satan — gorgoroth

you’d just come back from winter break and had brought one of your holiday presents back with you: a new record player and a shitload of vinyls

you set it up in your dorm and asked your roomie, draco, if he’d mind if you played something

he'd never admit it, but he was wildly curious what muggle music sounded like

so of course, you blessed him with the sweet sweet sounds of gorgoroth 😌🥰

(aww, nostalgia <3)

he just looked at you like 😨

you then proceeded to educate him on gaahl beating the shit out of someone (a l l e g e d l y) and threatening to drink his blood

he’s now even more concerned

(do you or do you not tell him about the gogoroth concert ft. alive ‘crucified’ actors & impaled sheep heads vs. the country of poland?)

((idk babe that’s for you to decide))

blaise: boogie woogie wu — insane clown posse

i feel like blaise is chill enough to give any music a shot before deciding if he likes it or not

you weren’t that close, just acquaintances, but one day you just offered up your other headphone to him in the middle of a really boring class

oh, he’s in love

🎵😍😍🎶

you make him a playlist of songs you think he’d love, and he lowkey almost starts crying and that’s how he asks you out on your first date

(is it terrible to think that this might be your wedding’s first dance song?)

((NOW MURDERRRR))

(((UH OH, HERE COME THE PO-PO TOO MUCH MURDER)))

enzo: custer — slipknot

it’s your ringtone for someone 😌

like ur mom, or something? idfk

“incoming call from: birthgiver” 🎵CUT CUT CUT ME UP AND FUCK FUCK FUCK ME UP🎶

enz:🧍‍♂️

he doesn’t even know how to react

he’s only a bit terrified

he’ll listen to a few other songs you play for him, but will make you play the weird sisters afterwards

tom: reincarnate — motionless in white

he’s bitching about how much muggles suck and muggle music is trash blah blah blah

and ur like “oh really? wanna bet?”

you whip out your phone and start blasting your playlist

he would absolutely eat that shit up

it’s cheaper than therapy ig 🤷‍♂️

he hates being wrong about anything ever so he’ll never admit out loud that he likes it, but he will just show up at your dorm at like eleven pm like:

“do you have any more uh……song recommendations or something…..uhhhh” 🧍‍♂️

babygirl 💞

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hihello-pinky · 6 months

Text

part one ,, last part

i’m still stuck on Sight part 4 but heyyy i got kinda inspired to make this pt 2.

will post part 3 hopefully before the year ends lol.

not edited/written at 3am

8:50 PM

suna watches as osamu guides you out of the restaurant with a hand on your lower back. he hears atsumu whistle across him. “i swear to god, if my idiot of a brother won’t make a move on y/n, i will.”

he resists shaking his head, knowing that atsumu already has eyes on someone else, but he doesn’t bring it up. instead, his brows furrow, concern about you starting to cloud his mind.

he’s always been observant of you. it was only after he began dating hani that he started to spend less time looking at you. that was a few months ago and yet, he wonders why he wasn’t able to tell that you were feeling unwell.

“are you okay, love?” hani asks beside him, breaking him out of his reverie.

“yeah…”

something passes along her face but he’s not able to catch it and what it can mean. instead, hani gives his hand a squeeze. he knows it’s meant to be reassuring but to suna, it feels as if he’s being held back from running towards something that he has always wanted.

QUESTIONS

suna always looked forward to practice and to say it’s purely because of volleyball would be a lie. sure, he loved the sport, but his excitement towards practice was amplified by something else – the thought of seeing you.

he wasn’t sure when he began to develop feelings for you that crossed the boundaries of platonic friendship. maybe it’s the way that whenever you would pass by their room, you’d look through the window and give him your sweet smile. maybe it’s the way you would always scold the twins during lunch whenever they get engrossed in their banter rather than eating. maybe it’s the way you would tie up your hair in a messy ponytail during practice, hands busy scribbling down notes on your manager’s pad.

suna wasn’t sure but by the beginning of sophomore year, he knew in his heart that he liked you.

on that particular day, you arrived at the gym a few minutes late and he was surprised to see that you weren’t alone. another girl was with you. as you introduced to the team that she’s your friend from student council, he could feel her curious eyes on him.

hani nakamura was her name, you said.

that day after practice, he noticed you and hani pass by the convenience store where he and the twins stopped by at. he immediately but subtly went ahead outside, only to see a glimpse of you blushing as you talked to hani.

he couldn’t help but think that the two of you were probably talking about boys, hence your blush. isn’t that what girls do? that night, when he got home, suna began playing scenarios in his head on how best to confess to you.

8:55

“i’m tired,” hani says softly as she rests her head on his shoulders. it snaps suna out of his thoughts, a reminder that he’s already dating the girl beside him, who, unlike you, will never play with his feelings.

he strokes her hair gently. “should we go?”

her response is a pout and a cutely-said “yes please.”

around him, his teammates fake barfing. “you two lovebirds are so cheesy! get out of here!”

suna is unable to resist his smirk as he shakes his head. “we’ll go ahead. y’all better also leave soon before you get wasted.” to atsumu he says, “except you, idiot, since you’re already wasted.”

hani giggles beside him as she links her arm with his. they both walk towards the parking lot, hani excitedly talking about everyone’s reactions when they told them about their relationship.

once they reach his car, hani murmurs, “oh no…”

“what?” suna’s instantly alert, “what’s the matter?”

hani looks at him sheepishly as she says, “i need to run to the restroom. sorry, love. be right back!”

suna exhales in relief and smiles. “okay. be careful. i’ll start heating up the car.” he waits for her to disappear from his view before he turns towards his car but before he could open the door, something catches his eyes.

it’s you inside osamu’s car, legs bent towards your chest, body shaking. and though he can’t hear it, he knows you’re crying.

he feels a little pain by his chest as he resists the urge to run to you, to comfort you and ask what’s wrong and to just make sure that you’ll be okay.

instead, he shakes his head and refocuses on his car but not after mumbling to himself, “stupid osamu and his non-tinted windows.”

EXPECTATIONS

it felt as if the universe was against suna’s plan of confessing his feelings to you. whenever he tried to get you alone after practice, something comes up and then either you or he would need to go ahead.

it was beginning to frustrate him. it didn’t help that on your non-busy days, your friend, hani, was always tagging along. after the first time, hani’s visits during their practice frequented and it soon became apparent to suna how close the two of you had become.

an idea suddenly came to suna.

since hani was close to you and it seemed as if she would never leave your side, what if he befriended her? maybe she could even give insights on and help with his confession.

he didn’t let the thought sit too long in his head; by the next time hani accompanied you to practice, suna started a random conversation. this would soon mark the beginning of their friendship.

suna admittedly only talked to hani in hopes of getting help confessing to you but what he didn’t expect was for him to actually get along well with her. once their friendship had reached a comfortable level, he finally decided to open up to her.

what he didn’t expect was the words that would leave hani’s mouth. “oh, suna-senpai, are you sure? i’m not sure if it’s my place to say, but…”

she was looking at him with sympathetic eyes, making suna feel foolish as he replayed what he had shared – about his changing feelings at the beginning of the school year, about the hints you’ve been dropping to him for the past months.

he awkwardly scratched at his nape. “well?”

hani bit her lip. “y/n-senpai actually likes someone in the volleyball team. you’re actually very close to him, maybe that’s why she was being too close to you as well…”

the end of her sentence was blurry to suna as he watched across the court how you playfully interacted with osamu.

suna’s eyes hardened as he swallowed the lump in his throat. “i see.”

11:42

suna couldn’t fall asleep. it’s been a few hours since he dropped hani off at their house but he’s still wide awake, his eyes fixed on the dull ceiling of his room.

thoughts of you swarm his mind.

after that conversation with hani many months ago, his treatment towards you never changed. he was mad at first but then realized that what you did to him had the same intention as why he even approached hani in rhe first place; the stark difference being he didn’t intend to toy with the girl’s heart.

nonetheless, he let the matter go. you were all still young and stupid anyway, and at the same time, he got too pre-occupied with his budding relationship with hani.

still, it bothered him. the sight of you sobbing in osamu’s car wouldn’t leave his mind. what could have happened to make you have a breakdown like that?

he contemplated on sending you or osamu a message just for his peace of mind and before he can decide who to text, his phone rings.

his eyes widened once he saw your contact id. he stared at it for a few more seconds before swiping right.

“y/n?”

“… hey, suna. i didn’t think you’d pick up.”

he hated how you sound stuffy but chose not to comment on it. “well… what’s up?”

a barely-concealed sniffle. “c-can we talk?”

“okay, sure. go ahead.”

“no, i mean in person. the 12th convenience store?”

he smiled at the mention of the place. “okay. see you in a few.”

“see you.”

once you hang up, suna dropped his phone on the bed and immediately went to get his favorite hoodie.

the same hoodie that you’ve been asking for him to give to you ever since he let you borrow it on one rainy afternoon.

#haikyuu angst #haikyuu x reader #suna rintarou #haikyuu fic #haikyuu!!#suna angst #suna rintarou angst #suna x reader

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oonajaeadira · 11 months

Text

Leave Off Your Wandering pt. 1: Spring

Fandom: The Last of Us (TV)/ Joel Miller

Pairing: eventually Joel Miller x f!reader

Reader: Adult female. Old enough to have been an adult on Outbreak Day. Wyoming born and bred. Sheep farmer, easy-going but confident and self-sufficient. Likes to sing, not a great cook. Childhood friend of Maria. No other physical descriptors; no use of y/n.

Rating: T for now

Warnings: Mostly just Ellie being a swear mouth. There’s a lamb birthing. Fluff…this fic is sloooooow.

Summary: Joel and Ellie return to Jackson and you introduce them to the sheep.

A/N: Set after season 1 and then diverges. Does not acknowledge the existence of further plot/seasons, although I claim the right to steal ideas and bits of cannon from the second game if I want to for plot reasons later.

Here it is, y’all. Not much happens. It’s just life in Jackson. There’s more Ellie here than Joel, but that’s because I figure Joel wouldn’t even turn his head toward someone if Ellie didn’t love her first. I’m just setting the stage for healing, for giving Ellie and Joel a nice home and good things. Nothing happens. Life is slower and softer here. Welcome to the Roost.

You were there when Tommy Miller was ushered–bloodied and busted–by the patrol through the gates of Jackson. The hard steel of Maria’s eyes through the slit between her hat and kerchief found you in the crowd and told you with a glance, I know what I’m doing. Meet me at home.

“Yeah, he’s one of them,” you’d confirmed to her later that afternoon as one of the Roostlings tended to his split lip and eyebrow in her living room. “I say we leave him to the coyotes.”

You’d trusted them once upon a time, the Fireflies. But your experiences with them were a deep education in morals and humanity. What you’ve come to believe is that everyone has an equal right to life and compassion and protection. And you might not have found that in yourself if the Fireflies hadn’t come through your papa’s ranch touting that sentiment but living up to a totally different set of rules, one where everyone had an equal expendability for the greater good of the survival of the species.

Fuck the species. If humans were meant to die out, then they would. Nothing is permanent. Not civilization or any one species, not even the mountains that surround your town–even the wind and rain would take them someday. All you can do is be good to those here and now, nurture what you have, and mourn what you lose with a little humility and gratefulness that you got to enjoy it in the first place. There’s already enough suffering. Why add to it? Or prolong it? Just let us all wane with kindness and compassion. Spend our days eating good food and caring for sheep, wildflowers swaying in the sunshiney breeze and stars twinkling at night–

“You go somewhere, Meadowlark?” Tommy teases as he passes you a plate of honey-glazed carrots, bean salad, and egg souffle, breaking you out of your reverie. You’ve come to prefer his tamales, but Maria wanted to use up some of last year’s supplies, so this Sunday’s family meal is harvest plate.

“I was just thinking about the day you came to Jackson.”

Leaning back in the wooden dining room chair, dark eyes glinting in the candlelight, his smug little smile is insufferable. “You wanted my hide on a fence.”

“Stretched and tanned. Could have been useful for patching boots at least.”

“What was it changed your mind again? Oh yeah. Weatherproofing the storehouse, building out your Roost, constructing a working loom–”

“It was the cornbread. And maybe the tamales.” Keeping a deadpan glare between you while stabbing a carrot and taking a bite, you point your fork at your best friend. “And you’re good to my girl here.”

Maria chuckles through a mouthful, shaking her head down at her plate like a mother trying not to let two warring siblings know how amusing they are. “I regret everything. And nothing.” The same dark eyes that glinted with reservation on Tommy’s first day hold back none of her big, tough heart as they seek him out now. “But speaking of mending shoes…you reminded me. Tommy’s brother came by while you were at the Roost.”

Your fork, halfway to your mouth, drifts back down to the plate. “Joel? Here? How’d he find you?”

Tommy answers carefully, chewing slowly, thoughtfully. “He didn’t, really. Patrol found him. Him and a teenager. They were looking for the Fireflies because…the girl belongs to them or something. Used my last known location and headed out west.”

“From Boston? On foot? And he survived?”

“All the stories I’ve told you about him and that’s what surprises you?”

Tommy’d been an open book from day one, answering Maria’s questions about his background, the QZs he’d lived in, why he felt the need to leave the Fireflies. As they’d grown closer and he joined in your family dinners, there were stories traded from the beforetimes, about his construction business with his brother, how his niece’s death changed them both, the things they’d done to good people just to survive. He held nothing back and owned up to his mistakes. Although he often blamed Joel for actions he willingly took part in. Still, admitted that he used his army training to teach Joel to shoot and unwittingly turned him into a killing machine.

But even so, he missed him. You could see that. Tommy missed his big brother. Wished it could be different, that he could have changed him, brought Joel back from his numbness before it was too late. Best he could do was run away from his regret, swing the other way and try to even out all his wrongs…but then found out that the Fireflies weren’t the answer to any of it. And despite all Tommy had admitted to doing, it was this ability to forgive, to take some fraction of responsibility, and to shelter his light through the darkness that Maria took a shine to.

You involuntarily glance toward the living room, toward the mantle where there’s a polaroid of a ruggedly handsome thirty-five year old man and a girl in fluffy brown pigtails. “Shit, Tommy. You think he’ll head back here?”

“Said he was counting on it.”

There’s a somber silence at the table as everything comes to a halt. Maria’s not exactly chilly, just… reserved. Ah. They’ve already been talking about it.

“Should I be congratulating you on a family reunion or….?”

The sudden winter of their discontent warms to a spring as your old friend goes back to her plate. “Well, it’s yet to be determined. Of course he’s welcome here, but not if he brings trouble.”

“He’s not going to bring trouble, sweetheart. You should have seen him that night we talked. He’s got demons chasing him, but he’s tired of running. He needs good people. We’re good people.”

“Unless he finds those Fireflies and they take him in first,” you interject. “Seems to me they’re just like everyone else, and a man who’s that good at mindless, morally-gray protection is a valuable asset.”

That sets him laughing, breaking the tension, throwing you unexpectedly off-guard after you’d just darkly insulted his kin. “Joel? Join the Fireflies? Not a chance in heaven, hell, or all the shit between! He’ll be back. He’s an asshole, but he’s my brother and I know him. He’ll be back. You’ll see.”

________

The day after coming back from your next shift at the Roost, you find yourself ass to the mud on the street outside the Jackson stables. Two bodies–yours, and that of a larger child–rounding a corner in colliding trajectories. You’d been fiddling with the buttons on your walkie, not watching where you were going, your boots taking you home the way they’ve done for years.

But she’d been moving fast–not running, but walking with that speed that teenagers are only capable of when they’re stomping off in a probable fit of angry hormones.

“Oh, shit, I’m sorry,” she curses, diving for your wayward walkie and the batteries that spit out all over the ground as you get yourself up and your ass dusted off. “Here,” she says, clumsily dumping a cluster of plastic and tech into your hands. “I hope I didn’t break it. Are you like one of the marshals here or something?”

A quick rummage through the jumble in your hands shows no damage and you start pumping the batteries back in, casting a glance around for the compartment cover. “Not quite.” Seeing what you need a few feet away on the ground, you nod at it. “Would you mind getting that cover, miss…er… You know, I don’t think I’ve seen you around here.”

“Ellie.” She watches with interest as you clip the walkie back together and push the activation switch. “I’ve never seen one that small.”

“It’s actually an old kid’s toy. Meadowlark to Whippoorwill,” you mumble into the walkie, your lips nearly touching the plastic speaker, “just had a butterfingers. Testing the walkie.”

“What’s a butterfingers? Are those like code names?” Ellie asks.

Her eyes–black and sparkling–hold your own, a tense moment for both of you as you both hope for different reasons that the machine still works. “Something like that.”

“Whippoorwill here,” comes the voice through the can. “I hear you. Actually need a favor. Send a change of clothes through patrol tomorrow. The big one finally popped and she was a gusher.”

“Damn! I missed it by one damn day? Shit. One or two?”

“Three!”

“Uuuugh. Well that’s just fuckin’ fantastic. Glad you were there to catch ‘em, Whip. This is gonna be a good year. I think Hank’s on the round over there tomorrow. I’ll go pawing through your closet and send some things along.” Starting off in the direction of your friend’s house, you wave back at your new acquaintance. “See ya, Ellie. Nice to meet you. Take it slow around those corners, ‘hear?”

_____

The run-in wouldn’t have been memorable but for the next night when you show up at Maria and Tommy’s place for family dinner, carrying a warm basket of muffins, happy and singing to yourself as you dance in through the door…and come to a stop when four pairs of dark eyes turn to you from the dining room.

Guests? At family dinner? A man and–“Hey there…Ellie, right? Fancy meeting you here…”

The girl smiles from her seat at the table, waving with a hand covered by the sleeve of her raglan top. “Hi.”

“Oh. You know each other,” Maria says, lifting the basket out of your hands. “Then you must have met–”

No. You haven’t met him. But he stands up from the table, wiping a hand on his jeans and extending it to receive yours. Manners. Polite. That’s unexpected knowing the little that you know. His hair is gray now and he’s a bit softer around the middle, more gravity in the cheeks. His ample shoulders have taken weight over the years–literal and emotional.

No, you haven’t met him. But you know him. You’d know those eyes anywhere; studied them in an old polaroid on the mantle just over there. Soft but strong. A good person from another lifetime who was scarred deeply by this one. Someone who cut his soul right down to the quick in order to keep others alive. Those eyes may be a bit more haunted now, but they’re still just as keen.

You never stopped to think that you might someday meet them in person.

“Hi. You must be Joel.” _____

It’s the girls at the table that notice your interest. If left unchecked, your eyes wander across and start to examine the gorilla grip on the fork, the protective hunch over the plate, the beard that’s been newly trimmed and hair recently shaped up (by Maria, no doubt), the scars across the knuckles…temple…nose…

The man’s been through hell and back since the polaroid.

Ellie though…is unscathed, unmarred.

Protected.

And observant. She finally smirks the third time she catches you staring.

Maria’s knee bumps yours to reign you in. He’s not a threat, her eyes say.

This isn’t the time to correct her assumptions, so you put all your focus on your plate or whomever is speaking, whatever isn’t Joel Miller.

“Tomorrow’s work is barrier wall on zone two,” Tommy chews both his words and his venison at the same time. “Once we’ve got that fortified, internal barrier can come down and we can incorporate it as a new section, start safely upgrading the housing there. It’s got a school facility. Be nice to restore that for its intended use instead of using the old record store.”

“Sounds good, count me in,” Joel grunts once he’s politely swallowed his mouthful. “Just put a hammer in my hand and point me at a wall.”

“Just like the good days, eh, brother?”

“Sure.”

“I could swing a hammer” Ellie pipes up.

“You can go to school.”

She scowls darkly at Joel. “Your face can go to school.”

“Ellie–”

“Whippoorwill to Meadowlark.” The walkie on your hip crackles to life and you swallow quickly as all forks stop and all eyes swing to you.

“Meadowlark here. I hear you.”

“Wanted to let you know that all three lambs are hale and made it through the night. Mom’s a little restless, but they’re all safe in the enclosure and I’m doing a sit-in.”

“Thanks for the update. Good to know. You’re in the lead.”

“I know, but Chickadee comes in next week and I bet she takes it. Anyway. Thanks for the clothes and the book, I knew I forgot something. I’ll leave you be unless there’s any change.”

“I’m giving the walkie to Chickadee tomorrow, so you’ll have to egg her on.”

“You know I will. Whippoorwill out.”

Once the radio goes silent, there’s a mix of reactions around the table; pleasant surprise from Maria and Tommy, Joel on guard, his eyes flicking between you and the others waiting to know what it all means, and Ellie’s head twisting around, trying to catch up.

“Three?” Maria trills. “You didn’t tell me there were three new lambs!”

“Yeah. Just missed them. Whip got to do the honors–”

“The big one popped! She was a gusher!” Ellie smiles as the table turns to her. “You were talking about sheep pooping out babies?”

“Ellie, manners. People are eating.” Her guardian glares at her before checking in sheepishly with Maria.

“It’s fine,” you make her excuse. “Ellie head us over the walkies yesterday and–”

“So what’s with the code names?”

The girl is practically vibrating out of her chair with curiosity.

This time it’s your turn to be scrutinized by the newcomers; two pairs of brown eyes hungry for answers.

So you explain while you pick at your dinner.

“There’s a wide acreage outside the settlement walls, on the west patrol loop. We have a good herd of sheep out there. Can’t raise ‘em all in town, there’s not enough room or grazing, although if the winter’s bad, we’ll bring ‘em in to some barns over at the old ranch house.

“But there’s four of us shepherds, each one taking a week at a time out there. Doesn’t require much. Sheep do the hard work of eating and sleeping and rearing their lambs. We do the shearing and milking, send back daily gallons with the patrols–that’ll be the cheese on your salad there. But mostly just make sure they’re healthy and taken care of. Scare off wolves and coyotes if they come sniffing.”

“You go out there alone?” She asks, wide-eyed.

“Sure. It’s pretty secure and the patrols check the fences every day. The Roost is added security for us, since it’s elevated.”

“What’s the Roost?”

“Ah, it’s kind of a fancy treehouse?”

“Thanks to me, I’ll add,” Tommy pipes up. “When I got here, it was nothing more than a shack on a platform. This one here had a target on my back until the day she had four stout walls and a pretty little porch. Won her over pretty quick.”

“Stick built?” Joel asks, shoving a fingerling potato in his mouth.

“Yeah. Reinforced. A-frame. Even pulled windows out of a lodge.”

“Smart.”

Ellie obviously has no time for Construction Corner with the Millers. “You don’t get scared?”

There’s something about her eager wonder that grabs your attention, pulls you in tight, makes you want to answer whatever question she’s got. “There’s nothing to be scared of. I mean, not for us anyway. All of us Roostlings grew up around here. We know the sounds of the animals at night, know they’re more scared of us than we are of them. We’ve seen infected out in the wilds, sure, know what to listen for, but we also know how to defend ourselves if the barriers don’t hold…and they always hold.

“But mostly, it’s relaxing. Quiet. Slow. Time to think. There’s nothing better than a night suspended in the treetops, with the sheep below and the moon and the stars above….”

Joel has stopped chewing, a wistfulness showing from underneath his gruff mask. There’s something thrilling about catching his attention.

A goofy smile cracks Ellie’s face and she giggles, reaches out to punch him on the arm. “Did you hear that? Sheep and stars. It’s everything you dreamed of, buddy!”

“I didn’t mean…” he winces at her brute force and shoots a guarded look at you. “I think I’ll leave the sheep to the shepherds. You said you grew up here?”

It’s the first thing he’s really said to you unprompted and now that you have an excuse to look him in the eye, it’s actually hard to do. “Ah, yeah. Family sheep ranch down in…well, down-river. Not far. Maria too.”

“Spent a lot of time at that ranch growing up,” she smiles. “You and your sister were bad influences.”

“Is that why you up and left us for the big city?”

Maria laughs. “Had to get out before I spent my whole life here. Whoops.”

Joel reins the conversation back. “So you haven’t spent any time in the QZs?”

“No. Holed up at the ranch with…with some folks,” you say as Maria looks away. “Then Jackson was starting up and it was safer here, so I brought in my flock.”

“Hmm,” he grunts, reading your expression, catching the slight omission in your speech. Recognizing survivor’s talk.

You hold his gaze for a few seconds, wondering what your answer is worth to him. You’ve heard of the quarantine zones, knew how rough and miserable they could be. Tommy and Maria both had their stories and you count yourself lucky for never having been unfortunate enough to have to scrabble for existence in one of them. Would have languished and suffocated. Wouldn’t have been able to breathe without the big sky, or sleep without the mountains keeping watch…

Does he think you naive? Or that–wrongly–you’ve had it easy? Does your answer tip the scales in his opinion for the worse?

And what about him? Has the QZ made him dangerous? Hard? Dishonest? Tommy always said he was an asshole…

“Can I see it?” Ellie interjects. “The Roost. Can I go out there with you?”

The question is surprising in more ways than one; most noticeably in its boldness and by your shock in a kid getting so excited about sheep. “Uh, yeah, sure. I mean, that’s why there’s a bunk bed. We bring folks out there all the time. But you have to be willing to work while you’re out there.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Joel grumbles with a tight jaw, stabbing a potato with his fork.

Maria had explained to you the circumstances of Joel carting the girl across the country. To get her that far unscathed? To get her to the Fireflies… He must not have found them or he would have come back alone. Maybe they were dead.

Not that that would be a bad thing.

The girl is smart. Better off here.

But it seems no amount of time can take the father out of the man and he’s fallen into the role for her pretty hard, his jaw twitching as he balances between politeness and worry.

“It’s completely safe, brother. Walled in. Patrolled. In communication, as you’ve witnessed. And the Roostlings are all pretty skilled with a shotgun. She’ll be fine. Might do her some good.”

“Come on, Joooooooel. It’s sheeeeeeeep. In a treehouuuuuu-suh.”

He takes his time chewing. Keeps his eyes on his plate.

“We’ll see.”

“Well,” you smile, winking at the girl across from you, “I just got off my shift, so you’ve got three weeks to warm up to the idea before I go back.”

“Do I get a codename?” She wiggles in her seat, grinning hard at Joel, goading him.

“Sure. I don’t know. You’re pretty spikey. How about Thistle?”

“What?” This dismays her and gets a choke–and then a chuckle–out of Joel. “Why can’t I have a bird name?”

“Because you’re not a Roostling. You have to earn your wings.”

This sets her jaw in a challenge. “Oh. I’ll earn it. I’ll earn it so hard you don’t even know. Bring it on. Take me to the fluffy bastards.”

“Ellie, dammit!”

_____

“So, he’s, uh….” you hand a dish to Maria so she can dry.

“Less than personable?” She finishes, keeping her voice down so as not to be heard by the brothers chatting on the back porch.

“Got some adjusting to do if he’s gonna fit in here, I was going to say.”

“He makes you nervous though. I can tell.”

“No. Not…like that…I just…” It’s best to avoid her keen eye, but catch her surprise out of the corner of yours. “It’s just–”

“My oldest friend in this god-forsaken world,” she declares, throwing the dishtowel on the counter and settling hands on hips. “You are telling me that? That is the man that is turning your head?”

“No. That’s not…He’s…” a growl of frustration follows, trying to scare your thoughts into cohesive order as you scrub glaze out of a pan. “It doesn’t happen that often, you know? Someone from the past showing up and there’s all this…change. I mean, he’s not really from our history, but you’ve had that picture of him and his daughter sitting out and there’s this face from the past just…looming. Like, there was this man who lived and worked construction and then the worst day happened and his child was killed and the person he was just got…replaced with that guy. It’s…I’m just morbidly fascinated by what twenty years in a post-hell society can do to someone. I mean…that smile in the polaroid…he was so warm and healthy…”

It isn’t until this moment that you realize what Maria begins to surmise. The pan and washcloth are abandoned.

“So you’ve had a crush on a man from the past all this time, making your castles in the sand. And you’re disappointed that he showed up and was that.”

She generously and lovingly gives you the time to think.

“Maybe. I don’t know. He’s still good looking, so you have to give me a little slack there. But I don’t know him. Didn’t know him. It’s just an interesting thing, you know? A little fantasy of the beforetimes? One that didn’t really line up way I imagined it?”

Maria begins to laugh kindly and quietly. Then a little less kindly and a lot less quietly. “Oh shit, that man came here for sanctuary and didn’t know he walked into a full-on trap.”

“Hey!”

“No. No. That’s not fair and I’m sorry,” she concedes, taming her laughter somewhat unsuccessfully. “Just go easy on him, okay? He’s Tommy’s brother.”

“Well, then that’s as good a reason as any for me to stay on my side of the creek bed. And, to be fair, those other guys? They came after me first. I have no interest in men that have no interest in me. So it looks like he’s safe.”

“For now,” she smirks. “But. If Tommy keeps me up at night complaining that you’ve busted a bottle over his brother’s head–”

“That was one time! And that guy was a fucking jerk!”--now you’re both laughing–”Which, I guess, yeah, if Joel’s as much an asshole as Tommy says, then maybe I should play it safe and apologize to y’all in advance!”

Thank goodness you have each other to lean on, or you’d both be rolling on the floor in a cackling mess. _____

It only takes a fistful of days and as many shy nods in passing around town for a knock to come at your door one evening.

“Well…hey there….Mr. Miller. What can I do for you this evening?”

The generated streetlights don’t come all the way down your block, and he blinks in the candlelight coming from your open door, his jaw gaping slightly before sealing shut, blocking any words that want to come.

Stepping back, you let the door open wider for him. “I was just putting a snack together. You wanna come in?”

“No, I..don’t…”

You’ve seen this look before from folks new to Jackson. From folks who’ve had to keep what they have to survive. Folks who lived among others who would never offer up anything for free without the expectation of payback and therefore have forgotten–or perhaps never experienced–the simple joy of receiving hospitality.

“You don’t want to come in? Or you don’t want to eat my cooking? Because I’d be offended by either.”

Walking away from the open door has the desired effect and he finds his way to the front room sofa in view of the kitchen on his own.

It allows you to watch him check off the boxes as you put together a tray. Telltale sign of the long-hauler as he scans the rooms for exits and places where a threat could be hiding. Check. Then the sign of the QZoner as he studies his surroundings, taking in a home that’s lived in but not damaged by twenty years of decay or depression. Check.

That finally leaves him open to be vulnerable, and you watch to see if he’ll allow himself to be at ease.

The way his fingers curl and uncurl on his knees, how he looks away when you catch his eye.

You wonder if he’ll ever really sink in. Having family here will help.

“You drink, Joel Miller?”

“Depends,” he answers vaguely, but nods with certainty.

Your offering is simple, rye crackers on a plate, a disk of sheep’s milk cheese with a knife in it, two tumblers, and a bottle of sunshine.

“You all are sure generous with your whiskey around here,” he comments as you pour him a full glass.

“Not whiskey. Cider.”

He frowns. “Cider? You make this?”

“I’m not that talented,” you wave your hand over the cheese and crackers. “As you can see, this is what I consider cooking. Like most things here, I traded for it. There’s an orchard a ride out. Gone wild. It gets harvested once a year and there’s a cider press in town. Couple of ladies spend a good month canning and bottling.”

“Seems like the women run the show around here,” he says, impressed, taking a sip and then staring hard at the glass. “Holy shit.” You’re not sure at first if that’s a good or bad expression until he goes in for another drink.

“That make you nervous? Ladies brewing up the good stuff?” You only laugh at his impression of a deer in the headlights. “I suppose if you’ve spent enough time around Maria, it’s easy to think that. It’s just a very empowered place for everyone. Everyone’s got something to contribute that gives them some pride and gets them some respect. And I guess, in that way, you don’t have to worry about Ellie here. I can tell she’s gonna find her place and do just fine.”

“That’s actually what I came by for,” he says, distracted by the cider. “You know how long it’s been since I’ve had a drink of something that doesn’t burn?”

“It’s sweet, yeah?”

“Yeah. It’s been a minute since I had anything sweet.”

You let that hang, watch him examine the amber liquid…or, rather, a memory swirling in its depths.

Twenty years of a broken heart can’t be good for a person.

“You came to talk about Ellie?”

It takes him a second to realize you’re addressing him, but he only nods, and finishes the glass. When you pick up the bottle to pour him another, he quietly stops you with a gesture and the tiniest shake of the head. No. “You ever have raiders come by your Roost?”

“We’ve seen raiders in the area. They’ve attacked the town border before. Always small groups. Hungry. They don’t have the numbers or the ammo round these parts.”

“But what about out there in the open?”

Crossing your arms and leaning back in your seat, you let him know he’s being assessed, let it sink in that he might be over-protective and has the right to be scared but doesn’t need to be. Realize he may never grow out of his defensive conditioning.

“I’m not going to lie to you, Joel Miller. There’s always a chance. But I don’t know if there are any words I can say that would magically put you at ease. There’s one thing I can see though, you care a lot about that girl. I reckon you’re here tonight because she’s bugged you about going out there. And you hate disappointing her, so here you are. But you’re also afraid of letting her out of your sight.”

He doesn’t look at you. Just rolls his glass between his wide palms.

Ducking forward, you do your best to get your smile in his eyeline. “Since I can’t convince you with words, I’ll do it with evidence. Ride out there with me tomorrow and see for yourself.”

“I don’t…that’s not what…”

“Hey. Good parents want their kids to be safe. I know the type.” It was meant to put him at ease, but you realize a bit too late that your words were poorly chosen. It’s difficult to read his emotion; there may be a few going on at once.

Most of them break your heart.

An apology would only make it worse. “Tomorrow morning. Stables. Dawn.”

________

He doesn’t like to talk much, Joel Miller. Knows his way around a horse like a true Texan should, completely at ease with a shotgun strapped to his back, but doesn’t seem to want to spoil the silence. Or perhaps he’s just always on guard. That’s okay. You like the sounds of the morning. The crunch of the woodland floor, the sweep of the wind in the leaves. The birds have been up for hours already, their voices warmed up and singing clear. It’s still chilly at daybreak this time of year and steam rises from the horses’ noses, mixing with the fog of the dew evaporating in the rising sun.

After a good half-hour ride through dappled forest light at a leisurely pace, you take up the walkie that you’ve borrowed from Chickadee.

“Meadowlark to Whippoorwill.”

Seconds and trees roll by as you wait for your answer. No hurry.

“Whippoorwill here. You taking another shift? You’re a day early.”

“Nope. Just giving a new resident a tour and letting you know we’re coming in at the north passage. Put some clothes on and don’t shoot us.”

“I make no promises.”

“Don’t ever change, Whip.”

As you come to a ravine and dismount, Joel finally pipes up. “Put some clothes on?”

“Yeah,” you explain, leading the horse down the steep incline, “Whip’s a nudist. Don’t ever show up at her house unannounced if you aren’t ready for a lot of skin.” When he doesn’t know what to say, you smile over your shoulder. “Just fucking with you. Although, there is a stream to the south we all like to skinny dip in come summer.” Another baffled look from him, and another sly smile from you.

He’s distracted by this to the point that he actually flinches when the barrier appears before him. “The hell?” he exclaims, examining a hedge of vines growing up over a twelve-foot tall wall of stone. “You don’t even notice this from the top.”

“Nope. That’s the point. Doesn’t look like a wall from up there, just looks like a hedge from down here. Most people don’t want to make the effort to climb down but if they do, they just assume they have to find another way.”

“This is the meadow perimeter?”

“Well, this gate anyway. A lot of it is woven steel gage and cliffs that only goats can manage. Most of it is natural barrier or camouflage like this so you wouldn’t even know there’s anything being protected.”

“Huh. Clever.”

“Welcome to Jackson Meadow, home of the Roost.”

After displacing and replacing some facing shrubs, you’re able to coax the horses through a narrow tunnel and up a gentle rise that eventually opens out into a sweeping field in a valley under the face of the butte.

It’s still early enough that the wildflowers are just slivers of purples and yellows behind their bud casings, but they spread far and wide across the green expanse, broken only by the random white-gray lumps of grazing sheep. The sun is just beginning to break over the surrounding mountains to the east, but once it spills over, it will only make the spring colors of the valley more vivid than any surviving photograph, more picturesque than any oil on canvas…probably. It’s been decades since you’ve seen a landscape painting, so what the hell do you know.

Able to ride side by side now, you make another study of your companion. And there’s a war going on inside him. You can tell he’s taken by the raw beauty of the meadow, but twenty years of looking over his shoulder makes him nervous in wide open spaces and his eyes won’t stop moving between the grasses and the treeline, constantly appreciating, constantly scanning.

“Relax, Mr. Miller. Enjoy the view. You’re in good hands. See that patch of trees up there?” You nod to a wooded area near the center of the expanse. “Roost is in there. I guarantee you Whip has eyes on us and everything in this valley right now.” Raising a hand over your head with three fingers raised, you use the other hand to point to them.

The walkie smacks on and Whippoorwill’s steady drawl comes out. “Three.”

You wave. Smile at Joel. “See?”

He relaxes in the saddle and a quiet, ponderous minute goes by before he works up the bother to ask whatever’s tumbling around in that head of his. “Why do you keep calling me that?”

“What.”

“Mr. Miller. I’m no mister. It’s just Joel.”

Things are slow in Jackson, people take their time. As you do with your answer. “Maybe it’s my way of keeping a distance, Joel Miller. You seem like the kind of man that likes people to keep their distance so he can get a good read and make sure it’s safe to approach.”

Twisting with a frown, he scans you as if he’s never really looked before, maybe a little annoyed that you have his number.

You dismount your chestnut mare some distance before reaching the trees, leave the reins to the saddle and let her be, walking over to the nearest duo of sheep–a mother and baby. The ewe bleats at you out of habit, but knows you’re no real harm. She watches her lamb though, chewing when she remembers to.

This lamb is still very young and you’re not sure if it will remember. There’s a bounce to the left, and then two to the right, and then each leg steps carefully as he haltingly makes his way forward. You’re able to scoop him up and turn him over in your arms like a baby, instantly quelling him, and his legs hilariously splay.

“What’d you do to it?” Joel, having followed suit and let his horse graze, walks up and there’s the tiniest smile as he gazes down at the creature in your arms.

“Nothing, that’s just what they do when you turn ‘em over. Here.” You don’t even tell him to put his arms out or ask if he wants to hold the lamb, you simply get close enough and the man’s instincts kick in. All you have to do is hand him off.

Joel’s surprised at first, flinches a bit when the lamb wiggles in his arms–the tiniest protest to being transferred to an unfamiliar nanny. But then both of them calm and you have to stifle a laugh as the two of them just…stare at each other. The lamb in his lamby wonder, and Joel like a new, star-struck dad.

Going about your business, you begin checking the creature’s general health, pushing at the belly, checking the mouth. “This one was born on my last watch, so he’s only about ten days old.”

“Really,” Joel sighs, totally enchanted, not even realizing that he’s instinctually bouncing the lamb a bit. The father in him showing its face again.

“Yep. And,” you indicate the mother, now watching a bit more closely since there’s an unfamiliar human involved, “I birthed that one too. And probably most of her whole line for the last twenty years or more. All of them were as little as this one, and all of them survived. And if the Roost can raise flocks and flocks of dumb little sheep, we can certainly take care of one smart little girl.”

When he scans you this time, it’s clear you’ve given him reasoning that resonates.

He allows you to lift the lamb from his arms, watching thoughtfully as the little thing springs away past its mother and tumbles into some lupines head first. After it recovers and bounces a little more, you bring Joel’s attention to the trees a few hundred meters to the south.

“You can just catch the Roost there, see? The A-frame sticks up above the treetops. And that’ll be Willa at the porch railing.”

He squints. “How do you get up?”

“Retractable ladder. Tommy rigged it for us. You gotta be in it to win it. You’re either up it or fuck it. Ergo, if the ladder’s up, you don’t get in.”

“Huh. How do you get supplies up? Pulley?”

“Yup.”

“Huh.”

It’s a quiet ride back to Jackson, and you do your best not to look over your shoulder to gauge his reaction, like Orpheus leading Euridice out of Hades trying not to lose a tenuous chance for Ellie to spread her wings. It’s not every day a young person wants to learn the shepherding gig. Most of them want to stay in town near their friends, or are too afraid of the world to venture out. Ellie though, she’s been in the world. Observant. Eager to learn. Fearless.

The sheep could use someone like her.

You could too.

It’s when he’s busy unsaddling his horse in the stables that he clears his throat, and you let the curry brush lighter over your horse’s coat so you can hear him think out loud.

“Yeah that works,” he mumbles. “Think it might be good for her.”

Poking your face over your mare’s shoulder and waiting to catch his eye, you release the hounds of smiletown. “You’re right. And probably good for you too, Joel Miller.”

____

“Whoa, coooooool!!!” Ellie says for the fourth time on the ride from Jackson as she spies the Roost through the trees.

Over the past few family dinners, Ellie asked a million questions about this week–how to stay warm, where to bathe, if the sheep bite–anything and everything, even if it was common sense.

And with every answer she’d listen, enrapt, her eyes flicking to Joel now and then. It became obvious to you–although maybe not to the others–that she was asking not so much for her own good, but to calm Joel, signal that she was thinking ahead and covering all the bases, that even if she already knew the answers it might calm him to hear them too.

A little overkill. But the concern they showed for each other while trying not to be sappy about it was endearing you to both of them.

And perhaps Joel was calmed; maybe not so much by the answers you gave, but the way you gave them--calmly, indulgently, and with just a little bit of sass to show you could keep up with Ellie’s tongue and put her in a figurative headlock when she got too cocky. You caught Joel smiling down into his plate a few times. And at you a few more.

He’s got a good smile. It comes out more often now.

A duffel bag lands on the ground at the base of the Roost’s tree and your horses jump a little. Then there’s a cheerful trill from above, “I’ll be right down! Just packing up the wool!”

“No rush, Goldie! We’ll go water the horses while we wait.”

Ellie follows your lead you as you dismount to pull the packs off the horses–bulky with a week’s weight of food, water, and clothes–before climbing back into the saddle and heading off to the south.

“There’s a creek up here flows right down from the Tetons. Purest, cleanest water you’ll ever see.”

“Can you drink it?”

“Absolutely. You, me, the sheep, it’s for all of us. We humans boil it first, of course.”

Ellie’s nose wrinkles. “Seems a waste. I mean, if it’s coming down from the mountains it’s really cold right? We hardly ever had cold water in the QZ. It’s so good when it’s cold.”

“You’ll be singing a different tune when you have to bathe in it.” Her face falls and you can’t help but laugh, hauling yourself out of the saddle and guiding the beast through the pebbled creekbed. “Believe me, come summer, you’ll be plenty happy with how cold it is.”

Once the horses are watered it’s a leisurely stroll back to the Roost, handing the reins over to a tall, veritable Viking of a woman, stong-boned and willowy all at the same time, the long golden braid spilling down her back and curls springing out from the sides of her face giving her the appearance that she’s wearing a lazy albino scorpion on her head. Her blue flannel matches her eyes and clashes with her sunburned cheeks.

“Ellie, this is Goldfinch, our junior Roostling.”

The woman takes Ellie’s small hand in her long, sturdy fingers. “Maybe not so junior if you pull yourself up on board.”

“Goldie started with us about ten years back when she was around your age.”

“Ten years ago?” Ellie asks. “There hasn’t been any new shepherds since then?”

The Rootling shares a concerned look with you before you answer, “Well, there have been, but not all of them stuck.” And you put the question to rest by helping Goldie pack up your horse. “Shit, this is a lot of wool. How many did you do?”

“About twelve?” She answers. “I’m only taking ten worth. Left the rest for you.”

“Damn, you must have been bored. Ellie, can you hand me that duffel? Thanks.”

As Ellie brings the bag to you, she’s also scanning the thatch of forest where the Roost stands. “So she’s taking the horses? She doesn’t have her own?”

“Horses are a sign of civilization,” Goldie offers. “Especially if they’re on a picket line. And we like to keep it not so obvious that we’re out here. We’d have to keep them on picket or they’d just wander off back toward the gate an s hang out there wanting to go home and give away that location.”

“Besides,” you explain, “won’t need ‘em until we go back to Jackson. Safest place to be in the whole pasture is the Roost with the ladder up and a loaded shotgun nearby, not trying to saddle up to ride off. If there’s trouble, we can hold out the time it takes for a posse to come down from town.”

“Is there ever trouble?” Ellie wonders, just slightly concerned.

“Never yet,” you wink.

Finally there’s the ceremonial clink of the walkies, acknowledging that the leaving Roostling is taking hers home and the new occupant has one with a completely restored battery. “Patrol, this is Meadowlark taking over for Goldfinch.”

A few quiet seconds. A pinecone drops nearby.

Then a man’s voice from the speaker. “Meadowlark, this is patrol, we read you. We’ll be hitting east gate around noon today. Anything you need?”

“Nope, we just landed. By ‘we’ I mean me and a learner. New girl, Ellie Williams. Callsign Thistle.”

“Copy. Welcome to the Roost, Thistle.”

Ellie beams, then blinks as you hold the walkie to her face, and you nod her a nod of encouragement.

“Thanks…patrol. Uh…Thistle over and out.”

“Good job, kid,” Goldie says, hoisting a leg over the horse and taking the reins of Ellie’s mare from you. “Have a good week, you two. May your days be filled with storms.”

Once she’s out of earshot, Ellie turns to you. “Storms?”

You strap a pack over each shoulder and start climbing the ladder. “We’re in friendly competition with each other to have the most lambs born on our watch and shear the most sheep. If it rains it can be miserable work at best and impossible at worst and we’re less likely to make good numbers. So it’s an affectionate curse.”

“Oh. Seems cruel to the sheep.”

“What do you mean?”

Shouldering a smaller pack, Ellie starts climbing behind you. “Wishing for storms when they have to be out in it.”

“Eh, they’re happy as clams when it rains. They’ve got wool sweaters already.”

“I’ve never worn a wool sweater.”

Reaching the top, you wait for her to crest so you can see the look on her face when she does. “Then you’re in for a treat. It takes a lot to waterlog wool. Rolls right off. You’ll see. You’ll love it. And that’s not even mentioning the socks!”

“What does happy as a clam mean–” she begins, but stops abruptly as her face comes to the top of the ladder, her mouth opening in awe, rounding in concert with her eyes. “Whoa! Holy shit!!!”

The Roost as a whole isn’t all that large and can be crossed in half a dozen steps. Roughly a seven meter square platform, it holds a one-room cabin with a balcony running along the north and east sides. The windowed, A-frame peak looks out to the north pasture and the roof slopes just out and above the east balcony to shade it in a cascade of knotty pine. Windows wrap all but the west side, the interior wall of which has a simple built-in double cabinet bed with a single bunk running across its head above.

It’s this cabinet bed that draws Ellie inside, and you watch her slowly take in the rest of the cabin, with its rustic table and chairs–Goldie left a couple Indian Painbrush in a mug of water in the sun–the windowed corner with the soft, plush, patchwork pillow chair and a basket full of wool roving, the opposite corner with its woodstove upon a harlequin tilework patch of floor and the spare array of cooking tools on spiraled iron hooks in the knotted wood walls.

The honey dark timber stretches overhead to a peak, from which hangs dried strands of vegetables and herbs, higher up a set of snowshoes, a number of straps and ropes–a butcher’s hook among them, the one arguably ominous tool, meant to make dragging a bloated carcass easier…although it is rarely needed anymore.

Even though the Roost has become your home away from home, the fresh smell off the boards and the dust motes dancing in the sun make you pause and smile every time.

It’s just comfortable enough for two people, a generous hideaway for one, and your favorite place in the whole world. There’d been more than one occasion where you thought about asking Tommy to build you its replica in Jackson, but it would be a shame to ruin its uniqueness…and, of course, there were higher priorities in town.

“Is that where you sleep?” Ellie points at the cabinet bed.

“Yep. Or you, if you want. There’s a bunk. I’ll take whichever you don’t want.”

Bouncing over to the side of the cabinet with the recessed ladder, she climbs, pats the mattress, and frowns. “Why’s it all lumpy?”

“It’s filled with fleece. Same down here. It doesn’t feel lumpy when you sleep on it. Feels like a cloud hugging you. How’s the view up there?”

Ellie pets the bunk mattress another second or two, considering it, before turning out with a smile, “It’s–” but the smile fades when she sees beyond the four meter peak of the cabin and out through the windows for the first time.

Turning to face outward--to see though her eyes–-the sun is breaking fully over the butte, filling the valley like a warm, golden bath, serving up a green to the eye that exists nowhere else in the world. It never gets old and is beautiful from every angle, especially this view from the treetops, birds-eye.

Wordlessly she descends the bunk ladder behind you and wanders out to the balcony, resting her forearms against it, staring out at the vista, and you let her have it while you unpack the bags, situate the supplies, assess the woodpile, toss a set of fresh sheets on each bed.

Once finished with the settle in, you join Ellie where she’s drifted to the other side of the balcony, looking out at the north pasture where the sheep like it best.

After a moment she asks quietly, “What was this place before?”

“This land?” you specify, and she nods. “It was just this. A valley meadow. Native land.”

“It’s hardly touched out here. No broken buildings. No bomb craters.”

“Nope. This place was never really that urban. Even with all those people, some wild places remained. Some were actually sanctioned by the government as untouchable natural places, just to let the animals live and the trees grow. It was for everyone to enjoy.”

“National parks.”

“Yeah, that’s right. This was part of a park like that. But Jackson wasn’t densely populated. Didn’t spread as fast out here. We were low priority. No bombs. So many of us lived on our own land that when the governments came to round any of us up, we’d take up arms and hold our ground. It’s what my sister and I did when they came at our ranch. I think after a while military just left the area thinking if we all got infected it could only spread so far before it just finished off the population and had nowhere left to go.”

“Did it?”

“Oh it came, but it didn’t take everyone. It wandered in later, like everything does out here. Cordyceps are like a fashion. It spread in the urban areas first and made its way out here eons later. But there were fewer people in a lot larger space…and a lot more guns. It was easy to stamp out.”

Ellie’s not like most of the other kids in town who nod at your ancient stories of the olden times. To them, this is the world as it is and how it will be and stories of how it used to be are less than monumental, just a passing curiosity for aimless evenings around a fire. But Ellie’s attention reaches beyond the meadow, beyond the mountains, beyond what she can see. It stretches out in time and tries to divine the past and what might have been; she tries to calculate what exactly was lost and in what ways it’s actually better. A life she could have had versus the one that’s brought her here to this balcony in the morning sun.

A far off bleat becomes a signal for the reverie to break, and you bump your shoulder against hers.

“C’mon. I’ll show you how we do the rounds.”

_____

After a few days, Ellie is doing the morning rounds on her own, reporting in when she notices an ewe in a lay, keeping an eye out for cast sheep–“You see a sheep on its back, do whatever you can to right it, you’ve got about twenty-four hours until they die there of bloat and stupidity,”--and generally letting them all get to know her.

“You’ll need to take your time. Let the lambs come to you or the mammas get emotional about it. Treat ‘em light and gentle for a while. If the ewe sees no need to watch you anymore that means she trusts you and you can pet and pick up the little ones if they let you. But they start cryin’, best to put ‘em down and let ‘em run. Never chase them. You chase them and never let them come to you, they’ll run when you need to get to them most. Take ‘em some apple or carrot and they’ll be your friend forever. Squash and pumpkin are good too. Sometimes I’ll bring out a pocketful of oats. Don’t tell the stablemasters in town; they’d have my ass.”

By mid-week if you couldn’t find Ellie, all you’d need to do was climb up to the Roost and survey the green meadow for the contrast of her red tshirt and you’d spy her sprawled out in the grasses surrounded by a clutch of lambs and ewes. The girl was a sucker for animals.

Shearing went by faster with someone there to hold hooves and legs or just keep the lambs within sight so any ewe under the shear wasn’t kicking to check on her baby. It might have been Ellie’s least favorite part except for the evening time task of carding wool (“Boring”) and drop spinning (“Impossible”).

“Motherfucker,” she whispers, singing a song of hatred at the breaking threads on her spindle, throwing her hands out and taking a dramatic fall backward onto the wool rug she’s sitting on.

“Patience, young grasshopper. It’s not a fast skill; it can take years to learn to spin consistently,” you laugh in the warm glow of the lantern, your spindle wizzing as your yarn pulls at an even gauge, “and all you have out here is time. You’ll get it.”

“Grasshopper? Have I graduated from Thistle?”

“Nope, sorry. Old joke, before your time.”

Abandoning her work and rolling over to her belly, Ellie kicks her stockinged feet lazily in the air and pulls at the fibers in the rug. “There’s only one more day left and there haven’t been any new lambs.”

“Season’s slowing down some. They’ll be fewer and further between.”

“Don’t you wanna win?”

“Win at numbers? Not if it means the health of the sheep. They’ll birth when they birth. Besides, nobody’s beating Willa this year. Those triplets made that a certainty.”

“Whippoorwill’s name is Willa. Chickadee’s name is Addie.”

“Yup.”

“So everyone turned their name into the closest sounding bird except you.”

“Nah. We’re just not real clever with the names is all. Goldie’s name is Pam. We just call her Goldfinch because she’s a blond. Probably wouldn’t even have callsigns but that it makes it easier to hear over the walkie.”

“So what about yours then? Why Meadowlark?”

You smile. “Larks are songbirds. I like to sing when I’m out here. I’ve been caught at it so many times, I don’t even hide it anymore.” You belt a made-up melody loudly out through the open window into the night, “Isn’t tha-a-at ri-ight you wooly ba-a-a-asta-a-a-ards!”

A sleepy sheep calls back in irritation.

“You’re a weird lady.”

Ellie laughs begrudgingly, sits up with a grunt and starts picking at her thread again, squinching her mouth at the lumps. “So if I become a Roostling, I don’t get to pick my own bird?”

“I’m sure we could make an exception. Why? You got one in mind? Because left to us you’d probably be a red-bELLIEd something-or-other.”

“Ha ha. Fine. I don’t know much about birds. Mostly just pigeons in Boston.”

“Well fuck if I’m gonna call you Pigeon.”

The night’s starting to chill down a little and she hugs her knees into her chest, setting her chin on them in thought. It’s about time to close up the window and put a few logs in the stove, but Ellie’s attention wanders up and out among the stars.

You have so many questions. Were all the kids in Boston as stubborn and wild and foul-mouthed as her? Where were her parents? Dead, most likely, but how did she survive them? How did she meet Joel? Did she smuggle run with him? She’s a fair shot with a shotgun, but not practiced. Did he get her here all by himself? That takes a lot of luck and skill. He must care about her a lot to bring her with him all this way, to keep her safe….

“So it was just you and Joel out there for a long time, huh.”

“Yeah.”

“I bet you’re happy to finally have somewhere warm to sleep. Traveling during the winter would have been rough. Good thing it was a milder one this time around.”

She gives a pathetic shrug. “I dunno. I liked it. Just us under the stars. We looked out for each other.”

“Well, you have a lot of folks who will look out for the both of you now. And if you need someone to look after, well, these sheep could really use you.”

Unexpectedly, she laughs, something you’ve said keeps her in the giggles for a while. “One night we were camping and I asked Joel where he wanted to go most in the world and he said he wanted to settle down and farm sheep. This is kind of his dream. But then he said that he wanted to be a musician. Maybe he should be the one out here with you to watch sheep and sing.”

“Maybe. Does he have a tolerable voice? The sheep are picky, as you’ve heard.”

“I don’t know, he wouldn’t sing for me,” she squishes her cheek into her knee, giving you a shit-eating grin and a teasing sing song. “But I bet he’d sing for you if you asked him.”

“Oh, I’m sure,” you smile and wink, trying to hide your chagrin under a swirling cape of nonchalance. “I can be very persuasive. But...I don’t think Tess would like that so much.”

“How do you know about Tess?”

“Tommy has his tales. They were quite a little family unit for a while. I’m actually surprised she didn’t show up here with you two.”

This sobers her, turns her attention back out to the stars, halting her response. “She would have…. but she didn’t make it.”

A chilly breeze sweeps through the window, and you’re not quite sure if it’s the drop in the air or your heart that makes you shiver.

Tess didn’t make it. In the world as it is, that means one thing. You wonder what happened. How. If it was horrific–of course it was, you can see it in Ellie’s hardened eyes that it was–and how much it affects her or doesn’t. It’s so difficult to tell with kids these days. In the end though, it hardly matters how. In all the myriad of ways it could have happened, it would have ended the same.

You wonder if Tommy knows.

You suddenly feel ashamed of that selfish little spark of hope it sparks in you.

But while what you know about Joel Miller could fill a book, what you don’t know about him could fill a library.

And you’ve had enough time pass through you to know that a lot of patience and a little observation can go a long way towards preventing disaster.

Thoughts for another time.

“What about you, kid, hmm? What was your answer? In all the world, where would you go?”

But you’d already guessed, seen the longing in her face every night this week and see it now as she looks out the window at the silent silver satellite in the sky.

_____

“Ow, dammit! Just keep a good hold on her back legs so she stops kicking me!”

The lamb is breach and you’re halfway up to your elbow in sheep, trying to push at the little one’s one back haunch to clear the way for the other leg. Ellie, wide-eyed and trembling with excitement keeps letting the ewe’s leg slip and you’d be laughing if the hooves didn’t pack such a punch.

You must have seen a thousand sheep born and assisted in a high percentage of those in your lifetime, but this one manages to give you a new rush. It’s the morning you’ll be heading back to Jackson and you were afraid you’d go all week without Ellie getting to experience a birth. Here it is, and she’s just as thrilled as you’d hoped and all you have to do is make sure both the lamb and the ewe make it through.

It doesn’t take much–a little push, a little twist, a little pull, a little gasp from Ellie–you’re able to get both back hooves in your hand and the little one comes sliding out in a gloopy mess onto the grass. Your favorite flannel is caked with blood and you’ll have to go straight to the launders with it on arrival back in town…

…but it’s all worth it when the baby bleats the tiniest baa and Ellie giggles and clutches her cheeks.

“Holy shit! That was awesome! It’s so tiny! Can I name it? Like Snowball or something?”

The footfalls making their way through the meadow proceed Willa’s answer, “You don’t have to do that. The earth and the sky and the wind will name her themselves.”

Leaning back to acknowledge not only your friend and her arrival, but also a broad form following her clad in denim and gristle.

“Brought you a friend,” Willa smirks for the girl’s benefit, tilting her head in Joel’s direction.

“Joel!!! Look!!!” Ellie’s grin is so full she can’t even close her jaw, gaping like a kid who just saw her first Christmas tree.

Another tiny bleat escapes the lamb as its mother begins to lick it clean and Joel’s eyes nearly disappear behind cheeks and crinkles. “Hey there, babygirl. You have a good time?”

“Fuck YES.”

Willa extends a hand to help Ellie up and Joel does the same for you, taking care to keep your dripping forearm at a good distance.

“She did real good out here; you’d be proud,” you praise the girl, squelching her grin with a big, wet, slap on the back. “I’d love to have her again.”

“Aw, maaaaaaan!” Ellie reels in disgust as you dig your palm into her shoulder, really getting the juices in there.

“You just earned your keep, kid.”

This snaps her head around. “Really? Do I get a bird name now?”

“Yup. And I think I know what’ll suit you just fine.” In a short second of mountain time, the wind picks up just a little, lifting the brown curls around her face and the sun comes up behind her over the bluff, kissing her pink cheeks as you lean down and look her straight in the eye.

“Welcome to the Roostlings, Starling.”

____

You let them ride ahead of you, allow the father-daughter team to catch each other up on the week’s news, watch adoringly as Ellie chatters on about the lambs and how they tumble and bounce and how cold the water is and how the Roost creaks and sways a bit when it’s windy, which sheep were her favorite and how much she hates spinning wool.

Next time you’ll have to teach her how to knit, you think. She’ll probably take to that a little better.

And when he’s not giving her his glowing attention, Joel’s only report is that he started work in the new section of town, nothing exciting except the house was blessedly quiet for a whole week thank god.

She still has stories to tell Maria and Tommy at family dinner, repeating again some of the highlights you overheard her tell Joel, and new ones she just remembered. Your friends smile and listen, bewitched, time enough to give her an ear and delighted with the novelty of an excited young person at their table.

“Looks like you have yourself a new recruit,” Maria laughs. “What did you settle on for a callsign?”

Ellie tips her head back, answering through a mouthful of potatoes, “Starling!” and slaps a hand over her mouth when a chunk goes flying.

“Ellie, dammit, talk OR chew, not AND.”

Maria ignores Joel’s curse at her dinner table to ask you, “What prompted that?”

You chew and swallow, pointedly showing off the patience that the girl couldn’t muster, a blatant tease. “Seemed a good choice. Kid’s a sucker for the stars.” You match Ellie’s smile before you sweetly add, “And, y’know. Because starlings are loud and annoying as hell.”

That earns you a bird of another kind.

_____

Tommy cuts a good silhouette against the coming twilight as he lines himself up to the peg and explains for his adopted niece how to score a ringer in an after-dinner game of horseshoes. He demonstrates the looseness of the grip, the swing of the iron, and Ellie soaks it up like a sponge, eager to learn.

He’s a good teacher. He taught Maria…who is currently beating his ass. But Maria is good at whatever she does regardless, always has been.

You concluded long ago that it’s not your game. Branded it a Texas thing and took up your spot on the back porch swing with a bottle of cider, kicking off your boots and putting your woolen-socked feet up on the railing to enjoy the setting sun reflecting off the mountain face.

There’s a cheer as Ellie tosses and the shoe lands with a loud clang.

The porch door opens when Joel returns with a bottle for himself. But instead of rejoining the game, he wanders over to sit next to you on the swing, upsetting it enough to pull your feet from their perch.

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay. Pull up a seat, Joel Miller.”

Several lazy minutes pass, a sweet, comfortable silence filled with the occasional sip from a bottle and an exchanged smile as you push at the porch a little, encouraging the swing to do its thing. And he lets his knees go soft, keeps his feet on the ground but aids in a little gentle rocking.

“Thank you,” he says, finally, tipping his head toward his ward as she scores yet again, “for taking her out there. She hasn’t shut up about it since.”

“Yeah? What’d she have to say?”

“Went on about the lambs, complained about how cold the water was. Said she was tired because she liked getting up early in the morning to see the sunrise but liked being in the trees at night and wanted to stay up to listen to the night birds. Said you liked to sing when you work and the fact that she didn’t complain about it–and from what I heard the night we met you–makes me think you’re not too bad at it. Not too fond of your cooking, though.”

That earns a snort from you. “Well I don’t blame her there; I warned y’all. I wouldn’t say she’s the most obedient kid, but she sure is smart, and really capable and brave. That girl eats the world with the spoon she’s so hungry to know all the things all the time. And strong–she swings an axe better than me. Got a mouth on her–”

“Sorry about that–”

“--and is beautifully, brutally honest, and pretty fucking hilarious. She’s really special.”

“Yeah. Yeah she is.” Something like pride melts his shoulders as he watches Ellie joke around with Tommy, and then slowly evolves into gratitude as he turns to you, to someone who can see her like he does. “Funny, that’s what she said about you.”

There’s a pull to share in that pride and gratitude, to lean in and let yourself bask in the glow of the compliment.

But a wall goes up when you reveal, as kindly as you can, “She told me Tess didn’t make it.” As his eyes grow stony and deny you the pleasure of their focus, you chase after his attention by turning your body toward him on the swing, bringing a knee up and placing a hand on his forearm, gently urging him to stay here with you. “Hey. She didn’t tell me what happened and I don’t need to know and you don’t have to talk about it. But I do need to ask you one thing. That man out there might be your brother, but he’s my friend. And Tess might have been your lady, but she was still family to him. She was important to him. And he’s important to me. And I need to ask you if he knows.”

The arm under your finger tenses as his fingers grip the cider bottle and you move to let go–to let him know you’re not forcing him–but a hand claps down over yours. It’s now his turn to urge you to stay, to give him a minute, to let him bust through whatever is starting to well up in him so he can swallow and tell you, “He knows.” Another quiet minute as he stares out at his family on the back lawn, his jaw working to bring the air in and keep the tension out. “He knows. Thank you…thank you for… taking care of him too.”

His fingers flutter a little, scarred knuckles contracting and loosening like he’s fighting the instinctual urge to hang onto something. So you set your bottle on the porch railing and gently lift his away too, slip out of this awkward hold and instead shift his hand between both of yours, giving it warmth, giving it permission to hold onto you like it wants to.

“They’re my family, which means you are now too. As long as you plan to leave off your wandering and let us keep you safe and cared for, that’s thanks enough, Joel Miller.”

“Quit that,” he grumbles, clasping your hand in case you interpret his words as an ask for release, needing a stolen moment of secret comfort in the deepening twilight. “Joel’s enough. You sound like my mother.”

“Okay,” you compromise, trying to tame your eager heart, silently explain to it that there’s nothing here but the time to do things right. “Okay, Joel.” You smile. “Joel Joel Cinnamon Roll.”

“Shit,” he cringes, shakes his head slowly, stifling a laugh. “Now you really sound like my mother. That’s what she used to call me, how did you-- Tommy.”

“Yup.”

“I hate you both.”

“No you don’t.”

Ellie scores another ringer and Joel smiles. “No, I don’t.”

________

NEXT: SUMMER

MASTERLIST

SERIES MASTERLIST

#tlou fanfiction #joel miller #joel miller x reader #joel miller x f! reader #joel miller x meadowlark #ellie williams #leave off your wandering

398 notes · View notes

dollfaceksj · 9 months

Note

I DO LOVE THE ANGST!! I think the right amount if perfect!!

Can #8 be Jungkook genuinely realizing he was rude and knocked down a few pegs yunno?

I seriously want to Make HIM the one wrapped around her little finger. Yunno? She fell first but he fell harder? Cuz he’s so goddamn cocky and big headed 🤪🤪🤪 love your Drabble series!

lets see wot i can do 😁😁

warnings: angst (mentions of sa) …sorry for putting y’all thru that! don’t hunt me down with fire torches and pitch forks for the ending!!!! can’t wait to see how it goes!!

taste of a poison paradise | jjk (m) #8

masterlist

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it’s been a few days since the clubbing incident and you haven’t been responding to anyone

you’d gotten a text from an unknown number that introduced themselves as yoongi and said that he got your number from taehyung to ask where you were

and why you had left so suddenly

you’ve been in bed all weekend, looking a mess

you weren’t responding to anyone and tae had started begging to just let him know that you were safe

and you texted him that you were home and just wanted to be alone

and now you’re by yourself

why

and how

did you ever let that punk get to you like this

get serious!!!

his words should mean nothing to you!!!

and you put him in his place!!

you definitely made your feelings towards him CLEAR

but you’ll also never forget the way he looked at you

instant regret settled on his features

toward the end of your harsh rant, his teeth were anxiously nibbling in his bottom lip you were surprised he didn’t end up bleeding

seeing him so stressed and anxious was so different to his usual stoic and cocky self

not to mention–

knock knock knock knock knock

who the fawk is knocking at your door at 9pm on a sunday

man

what’s going on

you slowly get up and make your way to your front door, cracking it open and peeking with one eye

��you had me worried, y/n.” taehyung’s voice is lathered in genuineness

you sigh and open the door for him, allowing him to pull you into a tight hug

“what happened? i assumed the worst happened to you in that club. one minute you were dancing with yoongi and then you were gone and i don’t hear from you at all.”

he sways with you from left to right, soothingly rubbing your back

you blink back your tears and just inhale his familiar scent

he smells like musk and cookies

you love his scent

“you didn’t get–” he pauses, “like no one tried to–” he pauses again, “like did someone–”

huh

okay

you realize he’s trying to ask you if you’d gotten sexually harassed or assaulted

“no, tae. nothing of the sort.” you pull back and look up at him, rubbing his chest

he visibly relaxes and brings his hand up to your face, rubbing out the scrunch between your brows

“then what happened, babe?”

you quietly sigh and shake your head in dismissal. “nothing. i felt sick. went home. been in bed for 2 days.”

“but why didn’t you answer my texts? or yoongi’s? we were seriously worried, y/n.”

sigh

“i’m sorry.” you flick his forehead and it allows you to escape his embrace

he follows you to your living room and jumps onto your couch

“don’t jump on my furniture!!!!”

he ignores you and reaches for your remote before turning the tv on.

“you got any snacks?” he asks you, feet up on the table

annoying little fuck

you kick his feet off your table. “not for you.”

he whines loudly but then sits up right and glances at you. “so, we wanna go on a camping trip and we’re wondering… if you’d wanna join?”

you look at him as you sit down next to him, snatching the remote out of his hand. “and who is we?”

he chuckles, “i don’t have a whole lot of friends, y/n.”

“taehyung, you literally say ‘hey, what’s up’ about 30 times a minute when we’re walking on campus.”

“acquaintances aren’t friends!”

well, he’s right

hmm

well

but … he is tae’s friend

“so, your usual friend group?”

“yep.”

ughhh you want to ask him directly

“i’d be the only woman there?”

he shrugs his shoulders. “does that bother you? if it does, you can ask one of your own friends to tag along. like eunbi.”

record scratch

should you ask eunbi?

the chance of that man [horror music] coming with you is low, he’s a homebody

and you don’t wanna ask tae if he’s coming because that would be weird

he’d ask you why you’re interested in that FUCKBOY joining you or not

it’s best not to ask eunbi at all

just to avoid drama

right?

“when do y’all wanna go?”

he looks like he’s contemplating something for a moment before responding with, “next week friday right after class since everyone only has morning classes.”

okay makes sense

“okay and how do y’all wanna go?”

all the others have graduated but most of you don’t have vehicles

“by train. seokjin is the only one that’ll go by car because he actually has one. and then we’ll have a car there for if we need to buy something or for emergencies.”

they’ve thought this through

“i hate bugs, though.”

he chuckles, “i will protect you.”

“make that yoongi and we have a deal.”

he laughs loudly, “okay then, yoongi will protect you.”

“will i be sharing my tent with him?” you quip while batting your eyelashes at him innocently

“calm it down, you minx.”

you both laugh for a few more moments, talking more about the place and camping itself

“so, you in?” tae asks with all the stars present in his eyes

how can you say no to that?

hmmm

you could use some time to relax

“alright, sure.”

and that’s how you find yourself fidgeting with the handle of your suitcase that next friday

standing in front of the train

taehyung, yoongi, jimin and hoseok are loading their suitcases onto the train

2 female friends of hoseok and taehyung have joined, by the names of hyunjoo and isabella

seeing another foreigner like isabella here already made it easy to get along with her

hyunjoo is also really sweet but she’s rather quiet

joon joined seokjin in the car so he didn’t have to drive that long on his own

you’ve got the biggest suitcase of everyone so you’re being helped last

jerks.

the guys are busy with hyunjoo and isabella’s baggage now

you rub your face, collecting some of the sweat that had started forming on your skin

you didn’t think it was going to be this hot tbh?

hoseok said something about there being like a bathhouse 20 mins away from where you will be camping so

sweat shouldn’t be that big of a problem, you’ll just make sure to visit that bathhouse daily

you also brought like extra sleeping bags because you wanna bury yourself basically

you know you’ll be freezing at night like always

what else did you pack?

just as you mindlessly reach for your suitcase again, you’re met with air

your hand continues to grab at air

until you realize

your suitcase is gone

wait

YOUR SUITCASE IS GONE

WHAT THE HELL

you turn around and see someone with your suitcase in hand

but

tae,, yoongi, jimin and hoseok are … all the way over there?

right

okay

your penny has just dropped and so did your heart. STRAIGHT into your ass.

why

here

???

://

you reach for the handle of your suitcase to snatch it out of his grasp

but he doesn’t let you as he pulls it out of your reach

“just let me help you.” jungkook’s voice reaches your ears but he doesn’t even look at you as he continues to carry your suitcase and loading it into the train

he sounds

different

that usual confidence and arrogance he carries himself with is gone

it’s kinda like the same jungkook you’ve always known and not the jungkook you’ve had the displeasure of interacting with these past few weeks

is this his way of being apologetic?

narcissism at it’s finest

everyone starts filing into the train but yoongi is waiting by the door

you walk up to him and he motions for you to get in first

you sigh quietly and smile at him as you walk onto the train

he follows right behind you and places his hand on your back as you walk further into the train

you see jungkook all the way at the front, all the way at the left against the window, wearing his headset but the only two seats that are free are the ones .. right … in front of him

you’ve pretended jk isn’t here pretty well until you make it all the way to your seat and make eye contact with him

he glances at you, teeth sunk into his bottom lip

just as he parts his lips to say something to you

you take your seat right in front of him and yoongi sits down right next to you, directly facing jungkook

ur right across from him

like… your feet and knees are almost touching each other

the look on jungkook’s face had softened for that split second with an apologetic glint in his eyes

but ur not gonna let him mess with your head, not on this 3 hour trip

yoongi leans over to you and whispers these next few words into your ears, “i haven’t seen you since that club, how you been?”

your shoulder gently jerks at his breath hitting your neck and yoongi chuckles at that

you can’t help it

you try not to you really try not to

you glance at jungkook and he’s staring straight at you

the way he’s staring straight at you, teeth anxiously nibbling and picking at his lip rings, showers your entire body in lava

you quickly avert your gaze and you turn your head to say, “i just felt sick. must’ve been the alcohol,” to yoongi

he nods and pulls out his phone. he connects his earbuds to it and offers you one of the earbuds

omg

wait why is this so cute

you feel like ur back in high school

a small smile creeps on your lips as you accept it and put it into your own ear

you notice jungkook’s leg bouncing up and down in anxiety

you drop your head onto yoongi’s shoulder and throw your leg over the other before closing your eyes

just act like he’s not right in front of you

you’re just here with friends

and your head is on yoongi’s shoulder

plus he’s sharing his music with you!!!

that’s a big thing!!!!!!!!

and you allow yourself to zone out <3

you stir and realize you’re being woken up by a soft hand shaking your knee

you hear your name quietly being called

you open your eyes and see big black eyes staring down at you

“we’re here.” jungkook’s soft voice reaches you like liquid gold being ladled into your ears by angels

you blink a couple times and realize you’re still wearing yoongi’s earbud

you look to your side and notice yoongi is gone

“he went to the restroom,” jungkook replies quietly

you don’t respond as you collect yourself and slowly gather your stuff

jungkook quietly does the same but is constantly glancing at you

when you move to step out of the seating area, he gently taps your shoulder

you look over your shoulder at him, still not a single word on your lips for him

“can we talk?” he asks quietly, dropping his hand after catching your attention

uh uhh.. ur not gonna let him ruin your trip

you are NOT

you cried for 2 days in your fucking bed over a geeky junior. ur never allowing that again

“what is there left to talk about?” the words leave you in a harsh tone and if anyone was around that didn’t know the situation, they’d paint you out as the villain

but they don’t get it

they don’t know what it was like when he tore you down

“i think we should talk about the misunderstand–”

“misunderstanding?” you echo in disbelief before letting out a humorless chuckle.

you continue, “there is no misunderstanding, jungkook. i think i made myself pretty fucking clear that night. and so did you.”

he doesn’t give up, though. “please?”

you sigh quietly and glance up at him, all the painful words he said to you still clouding your mind

attention-seeking

tryhard

no one likes that about you

does he even deserve to talk it out?

to be continued

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hyperfixationstati0n · 2 months

Note

I JUST SAW YOUR POST OML I NEED TO REQUEST FOR BILLY THE KID:

SO like a coryo x lucy gray inspired pic where the reader is a singer and gets billy's attention as he only comes to the bars to see her performances. they like each other, start seeing each other, making out in the back or something idk you're so talented i'm sure you'll write something amazing

anon. i love you. so much. hand in marriage. rn. (i hope this does your idea justice pooks)

Word count: 936

…………………………………..………………………………………

It started when Billy wandered his way into your town. At this point, most people had an idea of who he was. The infamous outlaw rode in, looking for a place to stay and somewhere to get a drink. luckily for him, he only had to make one stop to find both. After paying for his room, he wanders down to the bar. He orders a whisky, shooting it back before ordering another. But right when he brings the glass to his lips, someone-you-catch his attention.

You’re at your space, the small little stage this saloon had configured for you, with your guitar. This was your place. Hell, you’d been performing there since forever. You’d become a local celebrity at this point. You’re smiling and playing, most people there being regulars and knowing you. You smiled as they all cheered when you came out, someone going as far as to hand you a bottle of liquor. You laugh and take a long swig before passing it back to the man who’s given it to you.

“oh it’s to clear my pipes, y’all, to clear my pipes. Now who’s ready to have a good time?”

He leans forward and puts his glass back down on the counter, the liquid left untouched. His eyes glow in the dim candle light. There’s only one word to describe him-entranced.

And when you catch sight of him in the middle of a song, it’s all you can feel too.

You’re popular though, everyone wanted to talk to you. You got swarmed with compliments and tips and free drink offers before you can even make it off stage. And by the time you do, he’s gone.

That’s not the last time you see him though. Every single night for the next week you see him in the same spot, untouched glass next to him. Probably just an excuse to be there. Now, you figured out who he was through the gossip of the town. But…you didn’t know an outlaw could be so attractive. Or so shy, it seems. Even on quieter nights he never came up to talk to you. You got sick of it by day 6. You wanted to know what this infamous “Billy the Kid”’s deal was. After your show, you rush out the back door before anyone can catch you (under the ruse that you were putting your guitar away). You’d seen him wander around back there a few times, and this was your plan of catching him. Figuring out why he came here every night to ogle you but never even introduce himself.

And it seems you caught him at the right time, because in your rush to get out the door you run head first into him. You feel a pair of strong arms catching you by the waist to put you back on your feet.

“Woah there, honey. You alright?” His voice was low and gravelly, but in the way that pulled you in more. Your eyes flash up to him. He was even prettier up close than he was from your view on stage. It takes you a moment to stop staring and speak, although it was hard to do so until he retreated his hands from your waist.

“I’m-I’m fine. Sorry i ran into you.” You say with a breathless smile. But you can tell he’s about to walk off politely so you speak before he can. “I notice you here every night. You…always leave before i get around to you.”

He stops and you swear you can see a blush cross his cheeks, although it was pretty dark out at that point so there was no way to be sure.

“You’ve got a lot of fans, it seems. I don’t want to waste your time.”

You tilt your head, smiling but also uttering confused.

“I think I can decide for myself how to waste my time.”

This earns a smile from him. That you can tell even in the dark, because you can hear it in his voice.

“Well ok then,” He starts, hesitating. Like he’s thinking over the next thing he has to say, even though it’s only two words. “I’m Billy.”

“Yeah, I know” You say with a smooth chuckle. “I’m Y/N.”

You got lost in the blue of his eyes that night.

…………………………………..………………………………………

So, you were glad he stuck around for awhile. He came to every one of your shows, and now he actually didn’t avoid you when they were over.

When you’re done socializing you meet him in your usual spot out back. He scoops you up in a hug, kissing your cheek sloppily before putting you back down and leaning you against the wall. He keeps his hand behind your head, not wanting your hair to get messed up on the wood.

“Hi, Billy” You say sweetly, eyes wide and full of adoration. He uses the hand holding your head to tilt it up to his.

“Hi, songbird” He replies, using the nickname he coined for you. It always made you blush. “Great show tonight. As always.”

You blush even more and lean forward, nudging your nose with his.

“Needy” He teases, kissing the tip of your nose instead of where you clearly wanted him.

“Shut up.”

You pull him in by the collar of his shirt. He chuckles against your lips before reciprocating, cradling your body in his arms to keep you close. You’d learned that he wasn’t all people made him out to be. He was sweet. Gentle. And, he was yours. He’d made that much clear.

Billy pulls away and presses a kiss to your forehead before looking into your eyes once more.

You’d be getting lost in the blue of his eyes for a long time.

#billy the kid #billy the kid tom blyth #billy bonney x reader #willam h bonney #billy the kid x reader #billy the kid x you #tom blyth billy the kid #tom blyth #billy the kid mgm #billy the kid fanfiction

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nevermoremagic · 1 year

Text

foxglove to adorn thy dells. (xavier thorpe x dryad!reader)

Immediately fell in love with Xavier and I got this idea for a series stuck in my head ever since I finished Wednesday. Hope y’all like it!

Summary: A forest nymph transfers to Nevermore Academy and has her first encounter with the brooding Xavier Thorpe.

Word count: 1.1k

Warnings: none

You stood in front of the botany classroom, silently praying that the teacher finished her introduction and let you sit down - preferably in the corner of the room, away from the two dozen eyes watching your every move and next to the shrouded foxglove flowers.

You were a transfer student at Nevermore Academy; after an accident at your old school involving a tree sprouting and crashing through the cafeteria roof, your parents thought it best to send you to Nevermore and learn to control your powers. You were reluctant to leave your hometown, but after hearing about Nevermore’s botany classes and the sprawling woods in the Jericho wilderness, your parents eventually convinced you.

Dryads, or forest nymphs, as defined by the Greeks, have been in your lineage for hundreds of years. With the power to control vegetation, you usually didn’t cause too much trouble around normies - dryads were known for their passive nature. But the day of the accident, something had pushed you over the edge; now you faced the consequences of losing control of your powers.

And so, here you were, a fake smile gracing your face as you were being introduced to your classmates - a pitiful attempt to look approachable. Making friends was never one of your fortes, but you’d gotten used to the chronic loneliness you felt. On particularly bad days, your plants could keep you company.

You internally wince at the thought. God, how pathetic.

“Please give (Y/n) a warm welcome!” The teacher, whose name you couldn’t remember, looks expectantly towards the class. Everyone claps half-heartedly, except for two students sitting in the far back: a girl, with a black school uniform and a permanent frown on her lips, and a boy next to her, shoulder-length golden brown hair capturing your attention. His eyes never strayed away from the girl in black.

As you walk to the corner of the room - finally, you think with relief - the foxglove seemingly perks at your appearance. When you sit in your seat, the violet flowers bloom, its petals forming an elegant bell shape. You give it a small smile. Maybe Nevermore won’t be so bad.

–

That thought quickly faded as the day continued.

Each class, you would walk in and be met with curious stares and chatter. “What is she?” they would whisper, eyes zeroing in on the emerald green pendant hanging from your neck. It was a little eccentric, but it was a family heirloom passed down from dryad to dryad, and you treasured it deeply.

You didn’t pay too much attention to your botany teacher’s speech, but apparently she didn’t share the fact that you were a dryad. All the more reason for people to stare, you thought bitterly, feeling a bit like a zoo animal on display. In the corner of your eye, you saw a group of boys look at you and snicker.

Now, back at your dorm, you decided it was well past time to venture out into the woods and recharge.

The woods were your refuge, no matter where you were. Dryads, by default, spent much of their time in nature, but being in the woods had a medicinal effect on dryads, with the ability to soothe worries, ease fears, and wash away sadness.

With the gossip circulating around Nevermore already driving you nuts, a trip to the woods was overdue. So, you changed out of your school uniform, grabbed your foraging basket, and snuck down to the courtyard, following the pathway leading to the edge of the forest.

Snow covered the ground, remnants of the December snow storm that swept Jericho during winter break. On the way, a dilapidated shed comes into view. Although the curtains were drawn, light shined from behind them. Someone’s inside, you realize.

Just as you pass by the door, it slams open, nearly hitting you. You gasp in alarm, clutching your chest in panic. Standing in the frame is the boy with the long hair in your botany class, looking up a second too late. His eyes widen at the sight of you.

“Sorry!” you say instinctively, hands raised in apology. You’re not even sure it’s your fault, but apologies are second nature to you. Green eyes meet yours. “I wasn’t watching where I was going,” you trail off, puzzled. He stands frozen in the doorway, a deer caught in headlights.

“It’s fine,” he mumbles eventually, gaze moving downwards.

“Xavier!” A voice calls from inside the shed. The boy - Xavier, you guess - looks inside. The girl in black from botany class appears out of nowhere behind him, a lurking shadow that, despite their height difference, seems to loom over the boy.

“Attempting to murder the new girl with a door? A subpar strategy at best,” she says mildly. She looks towards you briefly, but disinterested. Xavier looks down at her, eyebrows furrowed.

You begin to think it’s high time for you to leave. “Anyway. Sorry, again!” you say, already steering away from the strange interaction and marching back towards the woods, eager to escape the awkward air. You don’t dare look back at the two.

–

It was pitch black by the time you finished your visit to the woods. The basket is filled to the brim with mushrooms and medicinal plants you found. You were eager to explore some of their properties once you got back to your dorm room - Vermont had plant species you’d never seen before.

Nevermore emerges from the trees as you walk along the path. The shed you’d passed earlier - Xavier’s shed - is still lit inside; they were still in there. At the window, a silhouette stands in front of the curtain.

Apprehension fills you. Were they watching me?

You slow down, hovering between the edge of the woods and the shed. Before you could take a closer look at the silhouette in the window, it steps to the side, disappearing from view.

A breath you didn’t know you were holding in leaves your lips. This would be the last time in a while you venture into the woods after dark.

As you trudge up to the castle, racing to get back to your warm and cozy dorm room, you ponder over today’s weird turn of events. The girl in black, Xavier, the encounter at the shed. What is the shed doing on the outskirts of Nevermore? Was it Xavier’s? What was the girl doing there?

Well, you think, they did seem close in botany class. You blush, thinking of the implications of them being alone in the shed all-day, curtains drawn.

You change out of your dirtied clothes and into soft pajamas, going through the motions of getting ready for bed. Your bed feels particularly inviting as you settle into it, tired muscles relaxing. The darkness in your dorm room stifles your ruminating thoughts, a sudden sleepiness over taking you. You succumb to sleep with the image of curious, green doe-eyes peering into yours.

I’ve got Part 2 all written up, it just needs to be edited. I might post it if this gets enough traction. I’ve also got a Pinterest moodboard for the series that I might also post. Let me know what you guys think!

Ames

Part 2

Part 3

#wednesday #Wednesday imagine #xavier thorpe #Xavier Thorpe imagine #Xavier Thorpe x reader #Wednesday addams #xavier thorpe x you #xavier thorpe x y/n #nevermore #foxglove series

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purelyfiction · 2 years

Text

All Fun & Games

Robert��‘Bob’ Floyd x F!Reader | 2 | 3.1 | 3.2 |

Word Count: 4,685

Summary: Returning to San Diego was just another assignment for you. Another step in the career path, full steam ahead, until you come to an obstacle in the road. Usually, you’d navigate around it, keep on going, but this is no normal obstacle. It might be enough to reroute you completely.

Content Warning: This story will have TopGun: Maverick plot line elements to it and will possibly spoil the movie for you. Please be aware. This - and all of my stories - is 18+. By continuing to read you agree that you are 18 or older and that any content you come across is by your own decision. || Mild NSFW subjects

Author Note: listen, listen, i know everyone’s waiting for Crossfire, but I couldn’t help it have you seen this man??? Anyways I love me some Bob, and I know others do too and there’s not enough Bob in the world. I’m realllyy excited to share this one!! So I hope y’all love it and eat it up like i have :DDD

════ ⋆★⋆ ════

One of the biggest lessons you’d learned when you’d entered the Navy was not to get attached to those around you.

Sure, friends were fine, but the minute you found yourself relying on someone else, you needed to take a step back.

Though, there was one exception to the rule, and his name was Robert Floyd.

When you’d arrived in California, you’d been frazzled while trying to get to San Diego, having been turned around nearly four times to different gates, canceled flights - it had taken the Navy’s involvement to get you to the San Diego Airport. When you went to get your bag, you’d mistakenly ended up with another duffle that wasn’t yours. You’d then met Robert - or Bob as he’d introduced himself. He’d been incredibly polite about it, having approached you with a tap of your shoulder and an ‘excuse me, ma’am? I think you have my bag.’

After turning to face him you were greeted with a taller gentleman, dressed in his working uniform, a pair of blue eyes smiling back at you through gold frames. His position and name displayed proudly on his chest. Lt. Floyd. He was very well polished, you’re certain any commander would be happy to have him on his squad as a perfect example. You initially were taken back by how bright his eyes were, but simultaneously pulled into his friendly demeanor. The sailor had the overwhelming aura to him that made you feel safe.

You’d exchanged bags shortly after introductions were made. Somehow in all your combined time in the Navy’s Air Force, you’d never met one another.

When he mentioned he was also headed to Fightertown, the two of you split a cab. He explained his background, where he was from, what he’d studied, how he’d even ended up in the Navy to begin with. It was beyond interesting to hear his journey to get to this point, a few tours, one in Syria and TOPGUN training with top awards for WSO service.

Having learned that he wasn’t a pilot was surprising. Sure, he could get out of the situation if needed but he took the backseat while flying.

And elsewhere it seemed, as you ran into him again at the bar later on, coming across some of your graduating classmates hanging out at the crowded bar. When you found Robert and his group, he’d waved rather shyly at you which took you by surprise. He’d chatted you up the entire way to base and now shoved himself in the corner of the room, away from everyone else. You’d made an effort to engage him, and kept his attention for most of the night. You exchanged stories about tours with one another, laughing at some of the things you’d heard over the years.

This kinship continued into training, where you’d tagged onto the officer and his pilot, forming a small group between the three of you. It was clear that they’d been working together for a while as they had a natural affinity to step into conversation, many an inside joke cracked in your presence, not that you minded. It was nice to see Bob in his element. He was rather friendly when he was comfortable around people, faring better in one-on-one engagements rather than the entire group of twelve of you.

Now you’re entering the second week of a specialized mission where you and eleven other pilots had been chosen to train with some of the most prominent names in the Naval Air Force, for a mission none of you could speak about outside of your immediate group and its supervisors. Out of those eleven you knew maybe five of them, including the two you’d clung on to, having previously met once before in the long history that you’d made with the Navy. That had been years ago though and none of them had changed drastically, including their habits.

Which is why you’re sitting on Payback’s dorm floor, the six of you in some warped looking circle. Having the weekend off and the thundering rain outside, it kept those who lived off base penned in with the others. Not that you were complaining, as your two bedroom rental had a tendency to get lonely.

Instead of paying attention to the group that’s around you, you’re in your head making a mental checklist of everything you need to get accomplished over the course of the weekend. Packages that need dealt with, laundry, lots of dishes-

“Vegas, if you’re tired you can head out.” Coyote offers, making you shake your head as you sip your seltzer.

“I’m fine, I was making a mental to do list for tomorrow.” You explain before Rooster’s sighing.

“All work and no play with you. They should’ve called you Buzzkill.” Hangman laughs with the other in agreement before the quietest one in the group speaks.

“How did you even get the name?” Your head turns to see Bob who’s fiddling with the plastic lid of his water bottle, watching you carefully.

“Oh cmon, you haven’t heard the phrase?” Hangman suggests, before Payback gives him a glare.

“The ice you’re on is getting thin, man.” He offers, but despite the warning he’s speaking.

“What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas?” The rest of the group lets out a disgusted groan, Payback throwing his pillow from his bed at the male, which he misses.

“You’re the worst.” Phoenix grumbles, turning to face you. “Ok, but really?” There’s a sympathetic grin on her features encouraging you to explain.

You’re reluctant to share, mainly because it seems like Hangman will use any details about the name against you - as evidenced by the way he’s leaning closer, a mocking gaze on you as he props his chin in his hand. “Fine, fine. The thing was that Vegas is full of surprises and you never know what you’re going to get. You’ve got to have luck when you go to Vegas.” You shrug and take a heavier sip of your drink, nearly finishing it off.

“It suits you.” Bob compliments with a grin on his face, making you look at it and return the smile.

“Vegas is also wild and unpredictable and full of scandals.” Hangman smirks before Phoenix reaches over and flicks the top of his ear. “Ow! What the hell?” He whines, a hand moving to comfort the spot.

“Stop being a dick.” She directs and he rolls his eyes.

“Whatever. This is getting boring. We should play a game.” He’s getting up, moving to the wooden box of a closet in Payback’s room, leaning against it.

“I’m down. I’ve got cards and-“ Payback’s efforts to host are shot down by the arrogant pilot.

“I was thinking..” a hand pushes the door to the closet open, a creak as it runs along the rail. “Some of the classics.”

“Hangman, I seriously doubt anyone-“ Coyote’s about to finish his statement when you stand up, downing the rest of your drink.

“I’ll play.” The blonde gets a new wind of energy when you speak, a smirk coming to his features. You crush the can in your hand, tossing it in the trash can before reaching down and grabbing Bob’s hand. “C’mon Floyd.”

“Floyd?” Hangman’s voice comes in shock as Bob - who’s admittedly taller than you remembered him being - stands to his feet with reluctance. “You know this game is 7 Minutes in Heaven, right V?” There’s the slightest hint of disappointment in his face as you turn to look at the WSO who’s stood beside you.

“I know.” Brief, you give a smile to the bespectacled male who returns it. This time it’s not a forced one, it’s rather genuine, as though he was appreciative of your choice. He moves past you, pushing into the closet past the many hanging articles. While Hangman stands in shock, you grab his hand and set the timer on his watch. “7 minutes on the clock?” You’ve got the smuggest look on your face as you step into the closet with Bob, sliding the door shut.

You’re getting your giggles in as you turn to the brunette, a soft whisper coming from you. “I was just trying to fuck with him so there’s no pres-” The words are barely off your tongue before there are lips on yours, hesitant hands on your waist. You can’t stop your body from reacting before your mind can string together what is happening. Fingers are in his hair, pulling him to you even further, lips fervent and over excited to get to his. His hand moves from your waist up to your biceps, a light grip to them. Bob is the one to deepen the kiss, a little more resistance to it, making you arch your back a little to keep the contact. A desperate pause for air, only for both of you to go dive in for seconds. Large hands migrate again to your waist, finding a comfortable spot before tugging you nearer by the fabric over your skin.

His tongue makes its appearance, exploring and marrying it with yours in rhythm, so perfectly exhilarating. This is the last thing you’d expected when you’d dragged his hand toward the closet. Yet, your fingers are long gone, tangled in the cropped length at the very top of his head, a light grip pulling his head back, forcing both of you to take a breath. A soft whimper leaves him when you do so and your stomach does a somersault. What was that? He’s pulling against your hand as he dives in for more, hands hesitating as they grow closer and closer to your chest. Bob’s thinking about it, yet doesn’t dare to move, so instead, you’re picking up his hand and guiding it to your chest, encouraging his grip. A light groan leaves your lips as his grip closes on your body, lips pulling from yours to start to pepper down your neck. The cold metal of his glasses skims over the newly warm spots as his hands continue to massage, a breath of air leaving you with more weight than the last. When a voice comes from outside the closet, you nearly jump. Right. There were people out there. And you were here. With Bob.

“One minute left guys.” The rule was no one could be leaning against the door, listening, recording - nothing. So, with the minute warning, Floyd’s pulling away, looking at you, a soft chuckle leaving him. His shaky hand reaches up to smooth a spot of your hair that had come undone in the frenzy that had just been sparked. The overeager countdown begins, and you’re straightening your clothes. With surprise, he’s taking your hand, his other one holding a pointed finger to his lips.

The closet door opens, flooding the small space with light, letting you step out. Bob’s soon following out, but making a bee-line for the door, waving a brief goodbye to everyone.

What the -fuck- just happened.

It’s quiet, leaving everyone to stare at you, waiting for something. A crumb so to speak. “Vegas? What happened there?” You shrug, looking at Coyote with a smile.

“We just talked, I made a few jokes that he groaned at - mainly because they sucked, but-” you throw your hands up, picking up your water bottle and downing the rest of the liquid. You sit down and Hangman claps his hands together.

“Okay, who's next, Phoenix?” He points to her and she laughs, shaking her head.

“In your dreams, Seresin.”

════ ⋆★⋆ ════

Your laundry list had been erased from your mind after what happened in Payback’s closet. No, scratch that. It had been crumpled up, thrown in the direction of the trash can and bounced off the rim of it and onto the floor. Long forgotten- instead, the 6 minutes of sheer adrenaline inducing touches replayed in a loop. You barely fell asleep last night, in near shock of it all.

There was no part of you that actually regretted a single thing that had happened. Not him kissing you, not you guiding his hand. It was exhilarating.

You’d not told a soul, but there’d been a certain draw towards the WSO that Phoenix flew with. Day one you’d stuck up for him when Hangman continued being an asshole to the man, which was uncalled for. Since then, Robert seemed to cling to you.

The two of you tended to stick around one another, with how comfortable he was with you. He’d let you in about his family, speaking at lunchtime over poorly made sushi and stale fortune cookies. For someone who didn’t seem all that at ease with people, he’d grown to be rather chill around you.

Every now and then, a thought would cross your mind when you’d get a good look at blue eyes shining in the San Diego sun. It would be the reminder you would get that this man was attractive. The worst part was that he never seemed to show that he knew that he was. It had been a shame, especially when you’d see him out of uniform.

The two of you had conflicting schedules, but you’d get a glimpse of his workout sessions on Hangman’s snapchat stories, seeing the male in the background, working his ass off. Usually a cut up grey Navy t-shirt and basketball shorts, both of which highlighted his body that wasn’t usually on display. His arms as he did curls seemed to grow with each pump, and his thighs…

You’d gotten lost in countless daydreams about him, to say the least. Now that one of those daydreams had actually happened?

There’d been no indication that your interest was reciprocated. At least not that you could see, the man was rather reserved in all aspects of the word. He was pretty quiet with most of the group, only spoke when he needed to, a meek smile on his features every now and then. Even the first night at The Hard Deck, he’d been a bit of a wallflower, a cup of water and an attempt to dance along to a song he’d never heard.

So the question was… who was the man that kissed you? ‘Cause you weren’t entirely sure that it was the same person.

You knew that you couldn’t sit in contemplation all day - which is how you ended up doing a rapid tidy of the house before grabbing your bag and moving to get back to base. You’d kept a pretty regular workout schedule with Coyote, having been doing an hour of work together, a two hour session overall. He’d get a half an hour head start, you’d come and spot him and then cool down with him as you warmed up before he’d spot you and then hang out with you while you did your cool down. Working out alone was your least favorite thing, and Coyote was not a good lone wolf.

Returning to base, you’re parking your bike, tugging off the helmet and shoving it into the seat, only before hearing your last name. When you turn your head, the man from your mind is standing with a timid smile. He’s in civis, a pair of khaki cargo shorts, a graphic tee for some sort of superhero…. Holy hell he looked good, and he didn’t even try. “What’s up?” Pulling hair from your mouth, you start the conversation as an active aversion to the inevitable detour your mind would end up taking.

“I… um… wanted to talk about last night?” He’s scratching the back of his neck, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallows. “If.. If I made you uncomfortable, I’m really, really sorry. I just - I’ve, well, I think most of the squad knows but - point is that I’ve had this thing for you since we got here and the guys - it’s so stupid honestly -” Bob’s going into a ramble, his hands fidgeting with the watch on his wrist. Hesitantly, you take a step toward him, grabbing his hand.

“Breathe. I’ve got time to listen to you, okay?” You reassure him, hoping to clear his thoughts and get the statement out a little faster. Bob takes a breath before looking at you, blue eyes firm to yours.

“The guys had this running joke that even if I had a chance with you that I wouldn’t take it.” He seems to shrink at the admission, making you watch him as he pushes his hands into his pockets, looking at the parking lot as he avoids your face. “I guess, I just wanted to prove them wrong?” Finally, he looks at you again. “So, I didn’t really consider what you wanted, which was… selfish of me.” Now scratching the back of his bicep, you’re about to speak when Coyote slams his car door, making both of you look at him. He gives a wave at Bob, who returns it before you speak to the other male.

“I’ll be in, just give me a minute.” You smile before your attention is turned back to him. “Floyd-”

“You can call me Bob, you know.” He cuts you off, only to tumble on his words. “I-I meant, if you want. I just felt like, since we’ve met you… are the only one who doesn’t.” With a small tilt of your head you nod.

“I am, aren’t I?” He returns it shyly, making you grin. “I just felt like… you didn’t like it.” It’s your turn to stay hesitant and you see the small smile on his face.

“Everyone’s adopted it, so I don’t have much of a say.” He’s kicking his shoe into the gravel at his feet, looking back at you from the tops of his lenses.

“Well… I’ll find something you like. Even if it’s just me who uses it - you should like your name.” A reassuring comment as you smile at him. “As for last night…” You’re grabbing your bag and swinging it over your shoulder, “I don’t think you have much to worry about.” With a well timed wink, you’re moving past him into the building. “Talk soon, Rob. Nah I don’t like that one.” Just before the door shuts, you can hear his laugh, and you know this feeling too well.

You’re hooked.

From then on, you’re doing anything you can to hang out with him. The problem is, if you aren’t on base, you are at home, studying or doing work. So, after practice one night, you invite the team to pizza night at your place. You’d even invited Maverick, but he’d declined politely, something about needing to get to an appointment.

“An appointment at 7 o’clock? Hm, right.” Hangman snickers as he pulls a slice from the pie that had been freshly delivered not more than ten minutes ago.

“He’ll probably say Penny needed one of the fridges at The Hard Deck fixed or something.” Coyote pipes up from your couch, he and Payback watching some form of football.

The turn out is pretty good, though it doesn’t slip under your radar that he’s not there. You’re certain he has to have a valid reason, but you’re putting yourself through a thousand different scenarios.

You stay rather tuned to your watch, seeing the hand tick by each hour. It’s not that you aren’t enjoying yourself - far from it. Rooster had initiated some form of spontaneous karaoke night which had left you and Phoenix in a fit of tears. As the hostess however, you’re excusing yourself as you pick up empty pizza boxes, starting out to the car park to toss them in the bins outside. When you drop them into the plastic, you look around, only to spot a shadow approaching from the end of the driveway. It makes you jump, not having seen him when you came outside. Hands pocketed in what looks like a Nike hoodie, khaki shorts and flip flops, the pilot begins approaching. The only way you knew it was him was the glint of the porch light off of his glasses. “God, you could warn me next time.” You laugh, waiting for him to come to your presence. He looks far more laid back this time around, and - is that a baseball hat?

“I guess that’s the ‘stealth’ part of ‘stealth pilot’?” He suggests making you smile. It’s mirrored as he points to the trash. “Did I miss pizza?” Bob asks, hope floating in his voice.

“I saved you a couple slices.” You smile, and open the back door and lead the way, hearing a whooping group of voices cheer his name as he comes into the kitchen. He offers a wave as you move to the fridge, grabbing the leftovers and starting to toss them in the oven to broil. “Do you want a drink? I’ve got water and soda - and beer but..” You offer an understanding grin, which he seems to chuckle at.

“Soda’s fine. It’s in the fridge?” He’s pointing in that direction, leaving you to move back to the task at hand. As you’re tossing the slices in the oven, Bob’s come around the counter to lean on the edge of it. “This place is nice. It’s yours?” Your head is quick to rise to meet his face which leaves you to find that he’s taking a sip from his drink.

“Sort of. Mine for the time being. I’m renting it off of a short term site. I think I’ve got it for like a month or so?” You shrug looking over the house. It was a decent size, a nicely redone kitchen, and clearly a great space for entertaining. “Why don’t you go say hi to everyone?” You ask as you nod in their direction.

“I didn’t come for everyone.” The way he says it doesn’t sneak past you, nor does the way his eyes seem to meet yours with lingering purpose.

“What did you come for, then?” Part of you has a suspicion, but you’re not sure he’d admit to it.

“Free pizza, obviously.” He pokes a smirk in your direction, standing upright and looking at you over his shoulder as he approaches the group. You but let your gaze follow him as he finds a spot criss-crossed on the floor next to Phoenix, contentedly. There’s a fuzzy feeling swimming in your gut, and you know that means trouble.

With pizza finished, and actual games played, everyone heads out, one straggler behind. He’s helping you clean up bottles and plastic plates, a true gentleman helping the host tidy before he heads out. “So I’ve been thinking, I’ve got a new list of nicknames, you just stop me when one jumps out at you, okay?”

Hesitantly, he looks at you as you lead him to the trash can. “Alright, Vegas. Go ahead.” You find the undeniable amusement on his face as you pull out your phone and open your notes.

“I don’t think you’re ready.” You tease before taking a dramatic deep breath, “Rip, Rabbit, Bobby, Robbie, Dobby, Robot, Ro-bort, Reboot, Bert Minus Ernie,” You slow, watching as he leans his hip into the counter, fighting back a smile, “no? I’ve got more.”

“Keep going.” Blue eyes are ablaze with amusement as you face forward, chests parallel to one another before you speak up again.

“Bob-it, like a bop-it, you know? Beebo, Bill, Billy bob, a time honored favorite, Ricky Bobby,” He dips his head into a nod in faux contemplation, stealing a step closer to you while you’re still rattling, “Bob the Builder, What About Bob, Bob Ross, Spongebob, Bob Belcher,” both of you are laughing now as you go down the list, still reading from the list as he slides his hands over your waist, index fingers sliding into the belt loops of your jeans, tugging you forward as you laugh. “I’ve got like two more pages that start with Bo-” Bob cuts you off, his lips meeting yours in an effort to stop your nonsensical rambling. Clearly, he succeeds as your hand droops, nearly dropping your phone as your head dips further with his kiss, breaking a moment, letting you pull away if you want to. Seeing that you have no intentions of doing so, his hand pulls from your waist, finding a comfortable spot along the roots of your hair, encouraging your head to sneak closer. Every part of you wants to keep this up, the way his tongue slides along your lips, lingering tastes of ginger ale and pepperoni - but your lungs are refuting, which is why you pull away, a loud smack sound hitting the air when you do. You’re taking deep breaths, trying to suck in as much oxygen as you can. As you do, you witness Bob start to panic, hand reaching to your bicep.

“I should’ve asked, I know- I know, god I promise it won’t happen again-” Instead it’s your turn, cutting him off, hands maneuvering his hips with a tug of his belt, lips sloppily engaging with his. Bob sneaks out words every now and then, “I promise,” teeth pull on your bottom lip as hands move over your ass, under your thighs, “really, it won’t happen again” between ragged breaths as you pull your arms around his neck, Bob’s picking you up and sliding you onto the counter in swift movements. The cool marble under your jeans doesn’t do much to calm the steam radiating from your skin. Large hands have traveled up to duck under your shirt - bringing everything to a grinding halt as you grab his wrists, pulling away and looking him in the eye.

Neither of you say a thing, stuck in an intense gaze as your pants echo off the walls and reverb back to your ears. While you’re still, you notice a bit of tension built in his stance. “What’s going on in that head of yours?” Your voice is soft, reaching up and pushing his baseball cap up and off his head and readjusting it so the bill faces forward like it had before he’d adjusted it to kiss you.

“I.. I don’t want this to just be sleeping together, just because we can.” Finally he seems to relax a little more, seemingly getting relief from admitting something that had been at the forefront of his mind.

“So, we don’t.” You shrug, as your hand falls to his shoulder. It’s quiet again before you tilt under his hat to kiss his cheek and pull back. His hands have slid into a comfortable spot on your waist, thumbs running back and forth over the same spot.

“I.. I haven’t hooked up with anyone, and I just… don’t think it would be wise to start now. Don’t get me wrong, Vegas, this is…” A light laugh leaves him, making you smile, “it’s good, but I don’t want to give you the wrong message.”

“That’s fine by me, Bo.” His eyebrows pop up at that, a genuine smile on his own face. “Oh, you like that one?” You tease and he laughs.

“It’s better than the, like, forty others you listed.” Bob helps you off the counter waiting for your response.

“Bo it is then.” Grinning at him he reflects it, reaching up and adjusting his glasses as he turns his head to his watch. There’s no urgency to leave about it, but more so an acknowledgement that it’s getting late.

“I guess I better get going.” He speaks at a lower volume, almost like he’s willing you to ask him to stay, but you won’t. If he does, you can only imagine what would happen .

“Yeah, wouldn’t want you to be late to practice tomorrow ‘cause you got caught up here.” You point out as he heads for the door.

“Yeah? The guilt would be all too consuming for you?” He retorts, leaning in the now open door frame.

“Absolutely.” A mutual smile rests on both of your features as the conversation comes to a close. “Hate to watch you go..” You offer as he turns.

“But you love to watch me leave.” Bob responds in a sing-songy voice, starting out from the car park and down the driveway. “See you in the morning, Vegas.”

“Night Bo.”

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