Very Veggie Legacy Challenge

Hi darling! Here’s my Tsu’tey request💕

Okay so I was thinking about human reader (she’s like a scientist, friend of jake or sm) and Tsu’tey is whipped but he also has the emotional range of a rock (just on the outside, he’s actually a big softy) like he’s trying to court her but she doesn’t notice bc he never says anything just like shoves food her way, or drops flowers on her lap and then bolts. He’s showing off his hunting skills and she’s like “cool, what a nice guy”. And she’s saying all the nice things he does to Jake, and he’s like “girl, he’s courting you🤨” and whatever else you like✨

I just thought that since he was promised to Neytiri, he probably never courted anyone before and he always has a poker face so reader would be clueless (but she likes him so it’s ok)

I tried not to make it too specific so sorry if I did, and I’ve never really requested anything so I hope this is ok😅

hi my lovely 💗 this was so fun to write - 'emotional range of a rock' really made me laugh so i included in this fic !! i hope that you like it xx

𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐀 𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐊

𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘: tsu'tey has never been very upfront with feelings, causing you to misinterpret his advances as nothing more than kindness 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆: tsu'tey x fem!human reader + some jake x reader (platonic) 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒: hunting, weapons, fluff 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓: 1.1k

you sat outside the lab, soaking up the afternoon sun as you listened intently to the sounds of the nearby forest. you took in a deep breath, the smell of the rain soaked grass filling your nose and offering you pure solace. but, your brows soon furrowed as the sun seemingly disappeared. you looked up to see jake in his avatar, towering over you with a fangy grin.

'move! you're blocking the sun!' you laughed, motioning wildly for him to get out of your way. he rolled his eyes, taking a seat next to you and bumping your shoulder with his body.

'yeah, yeah. nice to see you too.' you had been spending a lot of time with the omatikaya clan as of recent, and it was nice; it meant you got to spend more time with jake. the two of you had come to pandora together and had developed a really strong friendship. jake pulled out wrapping of yovo fruit from his pouch, handing it to you with a smile.

'how's neytiri?' you asked, lifting up your mask quickly to pop a piece of fruit into your mouth. jake sat back on his elbows, looking to the clear sky.

'she's good.' he spoke with a fondness in his voice. 'she was askin' after you. she wants you join us for dinner at the clan tonight.'

'sounds good.' you agreed. 'but, i might have to bring my own food. last time i tried some yerik… it wasn't pretty.' you shuddered at the thought.

'yeah, takes some gettin' used to. would be nice to have you there, though.' jake chuckled before looking at you from the corner of his eye. 'tsu'tey was askin' after you too.'

'oh, he's cool. he showed me how to shoot an arrow yesterday.' this caught jakes attention; causing him to spring up and furrow his brows.

'he taught you? like… voluntarily?' you shrugged, not understanding the big deal.

'yeah… not everyone is as unlikable as you. people actually like spending time with me.' you jeered.

'shut up.' jake pushed you slightly, forgetting how much bigger he was than you and sending you tumbling towards the ground with a thud. 'shit! sorry.' he sheepishly smiled, helping you up.

'...right into the mud!' takuk laughed, telling the story of how jake had fared on his recent pa'li ride.

'ha, ha. funny.' he mocked, throwing a piece of fruit towards his friend.

'it is nice to have you here.' neytiri whispered towards you as the boys continued to jest.

'thanks for the invite.' you beamed. 'it can get pretty lonely at the lab.' tsu'tey approached the group, taking a seat next to you and pushing a plate of food towards you. 'oh, thank you... but i can't eat this. it's not good for the human stomach.' you awkwardly smiled. tsu'tey took a bite of his own food.

'it is safe for humans. i checked.' he reassured, not making eye contact.

'you checked? with who?' jake asked, looking around the hometree to the lack of experts on human food. tsu'tey sent him an irritated look.

'the scientist. the tall one.'

'norm? is he here?' you questioned.

'no. i went to their lab.' jake and neytiri shared a look that was noticed by tsu'tey before he waved his hand to dismiss the gesture. 'it was on my route.'

'thank you.' you smiled, looking down at the delicious looking food on your plate and feeling thankful to be able to eat something other than a pb&j sandwich.

you sat with your legs submerged in the river, looking up to the night sky above you that was adorned with a blanket of stars; the lab only a few paces behind you. you allowed your eyes to flutter shut, basking in the tranquillity of the nocturnal scene. but your heart soon jumped as you felt something fall into your lap; your eyes snapping open as you let out a yelp. you looked down and saw a collection of flowers, tied together with a green string and decorated with small beads. you raised your eyes and were surprised to see tsu'tey standing above you.

'for you.' he muttered, avoiding your gaze. before you could even open your mouth to thank him, he turned on his heels and disappeared back in the direction of the clan. you smiled softly to yourself. he must have heard you talking with neytiri about how it gets lonely at the lab sometimes.

you stared at the large fwampop that tsu'tey had hunted and dropped off at your doorstep this morning; you knew that it was tsu'tey that had left it by the distinctive arrow still stuck in its side.

'damn. catch that all by yourself?' jake chuckled with crossed arms as he walked towards you, making his daily visit. you placed a hand on your hip, examining the animal.

'nah, tsu'tey brought it here this morning... i'm not quite sure what i'm supposed to do with it.' jakes arms dropped from his chest and his mouth fell slightly open, before his gaze fixated on the glass jar in your other hand containing the small bouquet of flowers.

'did ya'... pick them yourself?' he chuckled awkwardly, gesturing towards the flowers.

'hm?' you questioned, following his gaze. 'oh. nah, tsu'tey dropped these in my lap last night and bolted. i was just on my way to put some river water in the jar.' you shrugged as jake blinked at you wildly. 'what? stop it, you look creepy.' you muttered, making your way down to the river.

'wha- surely you're not that dumb?!' he cried out, trailing closely behind you. you turned to him, raising a brow. 'the guys done research into what food you can eat, he's showing off his hunting skills...' he reached forward and swiped the jar of flowers from you.

'hey!' you shouted, jumping up to try and retrieve the gift.

'he brought you flowers!' he gawked.

'...so?' you questioned as the two of you stared at each other for a moment. then suddenly, it clicked. your mouth fell open as jake nodded madly. 'oh my god.'

'how the hell did it take you this long to realize?!' he bellowed, lifting the flowers out of the jar and smacking you over the head with them.

'i dunno! he has the emotional range of a rock, i- i thought he was just being nice!'

'you've got the damn brain of a rock.' jake sighed, shaking his head.

© 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐨𝐟𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐚 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 | 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝. 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡, 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐥, 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭, 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐲, 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧.

lukey pookie💗🫠🌷😜

His Little Girl Is Not Yet a Warrior

Jake Sully x Daughter! Reader

Plot: You are Jake and Neytiri’s only daughter. You and Lo’ak disobey your parents and travel to a dangerous cave where you fall and hurt yourself. Your dad rescues and comforts you while you’re being healed. The two of you have a discussion around your safety.

Warning: blood, injury

You and Lo’ak laugh as you race each other through the thick forest. Your chest burns and your legs are starting to ache, but you refuse to quit. He might be older, but you are for sure faster and you are gunna prove it. You pick up speed and manage to pass him for a second before he inches in front of you and tags the tree marked as the finish line.

“Ha! Point for me baby sister,” Lo’ak says with pride as he jogs in place and pants from exhaustion.

“Yeah yeah whatever, I almost had you at the end there,” you reply with annoyance.

You often hung out with Lo’ak while Neteyam was out hunting and going on missions with your parents. The two of you had not yet become warriors, meaning you had to miss out on all the important missions. Despite how incredibly annoying Lo’ak was as a big brother, you had a connection with him because you both felt like you were living in Neteyam’s shadow.

Lo’ak was the middle child, often ignored unless he was causing trouble… which he usually was. And you were the youngest, always sheltered despite being better at hunting than most kids your age. But for the most part you accepted it, knowing you would prove your worth when the time came.

You bend over with your palms resting on your knees to catch your breath after the race. Just then you got the bright idea to prank Lo’ak. It would be the perfect revenge for when he scared you earlier this morning. You place your hand to your chest and start to breathe heavy, as if you are struggling to get air through your lungs.

“Y/N, you okay?” Lo’ak asks with concern, but you don’t respond.

He runs over to you to see what is wrong. He takes your hand and lifts your face to look at you. “Do you need to sit down?”

“Gotcha!” You shout in his face and push him backwards. He stumbles and falls to the ground.

“No fair, you’re playing dirty!” he yells while sitting up.

“Looks to me like you’re the only one playing in the dirt big brother,” you tease him before holding out your hand to help him up.

Lo’ak takes your hand and proceeds to yank you down onto the ground where he is.

“Another point for me… you never learn,” Lo’ak throws his head back in laughter.

You playfully slap his arm and you both laugh with each other before taking a break to figure out what to do next.

“Wanna head back?” You ask.

“Nah, it’s not even close to eclipse. If we go back now, grandmother is going to force us to do those chores we forgot about.”

“Oh yeah, you’re right. Hmmm, we could check out that cave we found that one time when we were hunting!”

“I don’t know… Dad said we werent allowed to go there without him cause the terrain seemed unsafe. He would kill me if I took you there.”

“You scared or something?”

“Im not scared, I’ve just been on thin ice with Dad lately… I’m trying not to screw up again.”

You give him an annoyed look. You couldn’t believe that out of all the times Lo’ak would want to start a clean streak, it would be now.

He rolls his eyes at you. “Of course you don’t get it, mom and dad let you off easy. Me? Not so much.”

You knew that he was right… your brothers always got into more trouble because your parents gave them more responsibility. But you weren’t giving up that easy. You put on your best pouting face and look up at Lo’ak.

“You and Neteyam got to go with dad last time and he made me stay home. You said the cave was so cool, I just want to feel included.”

Lo’ak looks like he is thinking the decision over. You slip your arms around his waist to hug him and plead. “Please big brother? I’ll love you forever.”

“You already love me forever.”

“I’ll love you forever times infinity.”

After several moments of silence and contemplation, Lo’ak agrees.

“Fine, I’ll take you. But no playing around while we’re there, okay?”

“No playing around, got it. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Lo’ak calls to his ikran and hops on. Then he takes your arm and helps you up as well. You sit in the front of him and he holds onto your stomach with one hand to keep you in place while holding the reigns with the other.

You were used to riding as a passenger because you had yet to pass your iknimaya. But the time would come soon, and you couldnt wait to have your own Ikran. Maybe then, you’d be treated a little more seriously. For now, you enjoy the feeling of the wind on your face as you lean into your brother’s chest and begin the journey to the cave.

You arrive at the cave opening and Lo’ak helps you down.

“Hold my hand the whole time, okay? I know the path, but I dont want you to fall.”

“Okay,” you respond and you take your brother’s hand.

Lo’ak begins to lead you deeper into the cave and you look up and around in awe at the colorful crystals surrounding you. “Its so beautiful here.”

“I know right, look at these cool structures over here,” he says while pointing to the left.

“Woah!” You exclaim. Lo’ak smiles at you, feeling happy that you are enjoying it already.

You reach a leveled platform in the cave and he releases your hand. “You can walk here on your own, but be careful. Step lightly.”

Excitedly, you leave his side and walk around to observe all the intriguing shapes and patterns on the cave walls. You stop and stare at one structure with spirals and shimmering purple stones. Pandora was your home, but there was always new things to explore… even more beautiful than the last. You turn back to glance at Lo’ak and see that he is admiring the illuminated stones on the ceiling.

After looking around a bit more, you see that there is a small pool of water to the far right of the area. A pond in this cave? So cool. You walk over to it and kneel down to get a closer look. There are tiny fishes swimming around, creating streams of bioluminescence the water. You dip your hand in and let them graze your fingers as they swim. It tickles, which causes you to giggle.

At the sound of your laugh, Lo’ak turns to see what you’re doing. “Y/N! Get away from there, it doesn’t look stable!” He yells.

“Huh?” You ask and you swiftly stand and move to turn towards him. But as you shift your weight, your foot slips, causing you to fall further down into the cave. Your body scrapes against the rough walls but you barely feel anything with the adrenaline from the fall.

“Y/N!” Lo’ak screams.

You finally stop sliding and your body hits the cave floor hard. You grunt in pain, putting a hand to your head where it hurts.

Lo’ak runs over, carefully slides down to where you are laying, and puts a hand behind you to support your head while he examines your body. His eyes travel to your legs. “Shit, this cut is bad.”

You look down and see a gash running from below your right knee to the middle of your calf. You barely felt it before, but once you see the blood, the pain begins immediately. You wince and feel the tears rising up.

Without question, Lo’ak turns on his comms and calls for your father.

“Dad!”

“Lo’ak?”

“Y/N’s hurt… it’s a huge cut on her leg.”

“Where are you?”

“We’re at the old cave. I know we shouldn’t be here, Dad. I’m sorry.”

“You should have something to wrap her cut in the pouch on your ikran saddle. Don’t move her, go get it and bring it back to her. I’m coming right now. Copy?”

“Copy.”

“Let me talk to her.”

Lo’ak connects the comms to your ear. “I’ll be right back,” he says before leaving to start climbing the cave walls.

“Dad?” You call to your father.

“Hey babygirl, I’m coming to get you. How you doing?”

“My leg is cut, there’s so much blood. And my head really hurts.”

“Lo’ak is getting something to wrap your leg and stop the bleeding. Take deep breaths, okay? I’ll be there soon.”

“Okay.”

Lo’ak comes back quickly, trying to be extra careful around the slippery, unstable edges. He jumps down to where you are, kneels in front of you, and lifts your leg onto his thigh. He wraps it carefully and tightly with some cloth. You hiss in pain as the fabric touches the wound and stings. The blood quickly stains the cloth, but it was the best he could do for now.

You turn to your brother apologetically, tears now streaming down your face. “I’m really sorry. I shouldn’t have forced you to bring me here.”

“It’s okay baby sister, don’t worry about it,” he assures you as he wipes your tears and rubs your back.

“Dad is gunna be so mad that we came here. I’m so stupid.”

“He could never be mad at you. I’ll take the blame,” he says as he moves to sit behind you, pulling you into his lap and being extra careful around the more smaller cuts and scrapes on your body.

You and Lo’ak always bicker and tease each other, but you know he would do anything for you. This was a clear example of that. He is selfless when it comes to others, and you feel guilty that he is willing to do this for you.

“Thanks Lo’ak. You can have all the points, okay?”

He laughed in response. “Don’t mention it.”

“It hurts,” you cry.

He places a hand gently on your head to soothe you. “I know, Dad is gunna be here soon and then they can fix you up.”

You close your eyes and wait for your father to arrive. After about 10 minutes, you hear the screech of his ikran and the flapping of it’s wings above.

“Lo’ak! Y/N!” He shouts.

“We’re down here, dad!” Lo’ak replies.

You hear your father run across the cave floor and carefully slide down to meet you. Lo’ak moves aside so your father could get to you.

“Daddy!” you cry. Feeling the tears well up again at the sight of him.

Jake puts a hand on your cheek, “I’m here, babygirl.” He moves to your leg immediately and carefully removes the blood stained wrapping to examine the wound. Blood continues to pool out.

“Fuck,” he blurted out in shock at the sight of the gash, forgetting to censor himself around his children. “That’s gunna need stitches, baby.” He tosses the bloody bandage to the side and begins to wrap it with a new one.

You groan at this statement, anticipating more pain when you get home.

“We gotta get you up this ledge,” he says as he helps you up. He drapes your arm over his shoulder and grabs your side. You hiss from the contact of your scrapes with his body.

“I know it hurts, we’ll be home soon” he says to you before turning to your brother.

“Lo’ak, go up first so you can help her.”

“Hop on one leg baby, I got you” he says to you.

They manage to hoist you up over the cave ledge and your father starts to carry you over to his ikran.

He turns to Lo’ak in the process, “what the hell were you thinking? I told you never to come here without me or your mom, and you took Y/N with you?! What if something worse had happened?”

Lo’ak looked ashamed, but prepared to be scolded as he was so used to it. “I know, I’m sorry Dad.”

“You clearly don’t know, cause you did it anyway. I’m gunna deal with you when we get home,” he says sternly.

“It’s not his fault, Dad. I begged him to bring me here, he didn’t want to.”

Lo’ak raises his head to look over at you in surprise. His expression turned worrisome, wondering what his dad would say.

Jake looks down at you in his arms in frustration. “Alright, we’ll discuss this later.”

You squeeze your eyes shut and bury your face in your dad’s chest, wanting to cry once more. Your wounds are painful… but surprisingly not as painful as getting your brother into more trouble with your dad.

He presses his comms and calls to your mom. “Neytiri, do you read me?”

“Ma Jake, did you reach them?”

“I got em, she cut her leg badly but she’s alright.”

Your mom sighs in relief. “Thank you, great mother.”

“We’re on our way back now, meet us there when you can,” he tells her.

He secures you on his ikran as best as he can and you all take off towards home.

Your grandmother immediately gets to work once you arrive back at the village.

“Lay still my child,” she says to you.

“Grandmother, how much is this going to hurt?”

“Only a little stinging. Once this is over, I will give you something to numb the area. You will not feel the stitches after that.”

You nod to her to continue the treatment.

“Squeeze my hand when it hurts, sweetheart” Jake tells you as he moves to sit beside you. You nod and interlock your fingers with his, preparing for the worst.

“Take a deep breath,” Jake tells you as he breathes deeply, instructing you to follow. He rests his available hand on your heart, mindful of the way it is racing. You feel calmer already, grateful for his presence. “It’ll be okay, I’m right here.”

As your grandmother disinfects the wound, you feel the painful stinging and you grip your father’s hand tight while squeezing your eyes shut. He rubs your back to soothe you.

Mo’at reaches for a small bowl and passes it to Jake. “Ma Itan, rub this generously on her smaller wounds,” she instructs her son-in-law.

Jake obeys and releases your grip to begin placing the medicine gently on each of your cuts and scrapes.

“Does that hurt, baby?” He asks with concern.

You shake your head and he gives you a light smile.

Your grandmother was right, you barely felt the needle from the stitches. Your dad talked to you the whole time to distract you from it. Once it was done, he picked you up and carried you to bed.

“It’s been a long day, we’ll talk in the morning” he tells you as he leans down to kiss you on the forehead.

“I’m not tired,” you lie. You were exhausted, but you needed to speak to him now.

“Hm, I would’ve thought all that crying you did earlier would tire you out” he teased playfully.

“Stay with me, dad? Just for a little while and then I’ll sleep.”

“I’ll stay with you for as long as you want me to, my love.”

He pulls you into his lap and hugs you tight. You let your body relax into his hold. “I’m sorry, I really am. I didn’t mean to make you and mom worry.”

“I know,” he assures you as he holds your head to his chest and tucks your stray hairs behind your ear.

“Don’t punish Lo’ak, he was just trying to do something nice for me.”

“I know.”

You looked up at him in surprise. “You know?”

He laughs lightly. “You cant fool me little one, I know your brothers take the fall for you sometimes. You give em those eyes, and they can’t say no to you.”

“What eyes?”

“The ones you’re giving me right now,” he says before placing another kiss on the tip of your nose.

Your father’s affection makes you feel so much better. You smile and lower your eyes, your face feeling warm from embarrassment.

He let out a deep sigh. “What should I expect though. You are my daughter, trouble calls and you answer I suppose.”

Your smile starts to fade. “It’s not like I wanted to get into trouble.”

“Then why? Why did you convince your brother to take you to do something that I specifically said not to. I told all of you that it wasn’t safe.”

“Because you took Neteyam and Lo’ak there last time. I had to stay home, it’s not fair dad.”

“They are older than you.”

“I’m only 2 years younger than Lo’ak, but you treat me like im a baby.”

“You’re MY baby.”

“Im serious, Dad. Even now, you’re not listening to me.” You sit up and cross your arms, wanting to create some distance between you two. You continue. “Admit it, it’s not cause I’m young. It’s cause I’m a girl, you dont think I can handle it.”

It hurt Jake to hear you say this. Had he let his little girl think she was not good enough?

“That’s not true, Y/N.”

“Yes it is! But I’m a good hunter too, even if you don’t think so! And in a year, I’ll pass that test and have my ikran, and then you cant keep me trapped here.”

Tears begin to roll down your cheeks and you quickly wipe them away, not wanting to show more weakness in front of him.

Jake’s expression softened at the sight of you. He hated that he made you so upset. And he hated that you felt trapped. Had he been going overboard?

“Come here,” he says as he opens his arms for you.

You shake your head in defiance, not wanting to give into him.

“Please, baby? I’m sorry, just come here.”

You began to uncross your arms but your father closes the gap before you have the chance to. He pulls you into a hug and rubs your back. It feels nice to be back in his arms. No matter how mad you were with him, you always felt so much comfort in his embrace.

“Y/n, I know you’re capable. I know you’re a great hunter… and you’re right, maybe I did shelter you a little too much.”

Your expression turns hopeful, surprised that he agreed with you.

He continued. “But… that doesn’t give you the right to disobey me and put yourself and your siblings in danger. Can you understand that I need to protect you?”

“Yeah,” you reply while lowering your head, not wanting to face him.

He lifts your chin so that he could see your eyes. “I’m sorry that I made you think you weren’t good enough to be out there with me and your brothers. And I’m sorry that I don’t consider taking you more often.”

You look up at him as he says this and tears start to form in your eyes again. You blink and they fall down your face.

“You are enough, and you can do anything you put your mind to. Don’t let anyone make you think differently, not even me.”

You smile at him brightly, appreciative of his apology and wise words. “Thanks, Dad.”

Jake cups your face in his hands and wipes away the wet streaks with his thumbs. “There’s that smile, so beautiful. Where’d you get that from?”

“Mom, I think” you say while grinning.

He smiles at you. “Definitely from mom.” He sighs deeply and you both sit for a little while in the silence. “You’re still so little, even though I know you’re getting older. It’s scary sometimes, I just don’t wanna lose you babygirl… but I know I’ve got to let you go at some point.”

You wrap your arms around his waist and squeeze him tight. “I’m not going anywhere right now, daddy.”

Jake chuckles and squeezes you back while running his hand over your hair. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too.”

“Okay, promise me something?” he asks while he holding out his pinky.

You sit up and stare at him intently, waiting to hear the rest.

“Promise me that you wont do something dangerous like this again… and as long as it’s safe… I’ll promise to take you with me on the next mission.”

“Really?”

“Mhm. You need to know what it’s like out there.”

You gasp excitedly and hook your pinky onto his. “I promise.” You connect your thumbs together to seal the deal and he brings your hand up to his lips.

“…after your leg heals up of course.”

“Oh… right,” you reply as you slump over in disappointment.

Jake throws his head back and erupts in laughter.

“Not funny!” You yell.

“Okay okay, I’m sorry. It’ll heal in no time, sweetheart.” He pats the spot next to him. “Come on, let’s go to sleep.”

from here

I should be someone's girlfriend rn

I'd be a sick ass gf

KARMA – Quinn Hughes x famous singer!reader

summary: where the captain of the canucks gets the entire team tickets to his famous singer!gf’s tour, only to find out that she’s in the mood to shake up some of her lyrics.

note: songs from both Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift are referenced to have been written by reader! Both songs referenced are Nonsense by Sabrina Carpenter and Karma by Taylor Swift (both of which have been plaguing my brain for the past two weeks!)

warnings: use of y/n, fem reader, simp Quinn, use of nicknames like baby and sweetheart, tooth-rotting morning fluff, I think that’s about it really.

word count: 2.4k+

(lyrics have been italicised and lyrics italicised in bold are the lyrics you change 🙏)

Golden light filtered into your apartment bedroom through a slight crack in your curtains. Your alarm had gone off twice in the last ten minutes, but all you could focus on was the man whose head was cradled on your chest and whose hair your fingers were mindlessly running through as he slept.

You had missed mornings like these. Mornings where the world seemed so small, where everything you needed was confined in this one apartment.

Mornings where the world was all just a little bit softer.

You'd been on tour for a month and a half prior to this moment, and tonight you were playing BC Place in your home city, which meant you had gotten to spend a few days and nights in the comfort of your own apartment and in the warmth of your boyfriend's arms.

Your third and final alarm for the morning chirped causing the man lying on your chest to groan, the sound vibrating down your spine as you moved to turn off the irritating noise, hoping to linger in the previous serenity. He shifted his position slightly, manoeuvring himself so that his face buried itself into your neck, leaving delicate kisses all the way up to your jaw.

"If you mark me up my makeup artist won't be happy with you," you forewarned as you hummed gently, your hand brushing a small strand of hair back from his face.

Quinn Hughes grumbled incoherently as he tightened his grip around you. You laughed at the groggy man's actions. It was seven o'clock in the morning, and usually, he was up and at it already, but he had a four-day period with no games, just training in the afternoon, which may or may not be the reason you had scheduled your shows and following rest period to fall on those days.

What could you say? You were greedy. You would give anything to have more time with your love.

"I have to go soon," You started, making no attempt to get up from the bed. Quinn's eyes blinked slowly as he adjusted to the morning light, his thumb tracing uneven circles on your hip. "I have rehearsals all day until later. Are you still planning on coming and bringing everyone?"

You had ensured that Quinn had a ticket to all of the shows you were going to be playing at BC Place (three in total, all of which had been sold out!). You'd also provided tickets to his teammates and their partners, wanting to see them all to catch up as well as reserving some for his parents, who’d be flying up to visit within the next day or two.

Quinn grunted as he pushed himself further up the bed so that he could be face-to-face with you. He placed another delicate kiss on your lips this time, despite your brewing complaints about morning breath.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," he whispered softly, his nose nudging your own. The depth of his morning voice, paired with his gentleness made you melt into his touch, all your previous worries fading into the background. "Everyone is coming tonight...they haven't stopped talking about it."

Heat rose to your cheeks. Despite your extensive fame, you hadn't quite gotten used to the whole 'being famous' aspect. You could hardly believe so many people supported you and your music, it seemed so far away from you–so unreal.

"I'm excited," you smiled sheepishly, your eyes closing as Quinn pulled you closer to his warm body and held you firmly between his arms.

"Me too," He sighed with a sleepy grin of his own, "Can't wait to watch you on stage, waited long enough."

"I offered you tickets to the other ones but you had hockey," you whined with a yawn, your head nestling into his bare chest. "I think we should both just quit our jobs and buy a cottage out in the middle of nowhere."

Quinn hummed in amusement at your dramatics, his fingers traipsing up and down your spine. "Let's make it through today and reconsider," he suggested tiredly, "now five more minutes, please."

You didn't have to answer as you obliged his request and closed your eyes for another faithful five minutes.

—

"I...dah, dah, dah...I...duh, duh, duh."

Your halfhearted rehearsing of one of your songs backstage kept your mind occupied as your mic and earpiece were being attached to you. You could hear the buzzing of the crowd from outside, a small smile gracing your face to combat the nerves.

You'd been dressed and made up to perfection, not a single strand of hair out of place as people flitted around backstage preparing for you to take the stage. You shook out your limbs slightly, your jitteriness growing before you were scooped up from behind and carefully spun around. Your grin widened at the familiar grip around you as you let out a melodic laugh.

Once you were placed back on solid ground, you turned and hugged Quinn tightly, the comforting smell of his cologne soothing any remaining nerves lingering. He'd dressed up for the occasion, wearing a dress shirt and pants with his typical beanie covering his hair.

"How was practice?" You asked, your hands on his forearms as you scanned him for any signs of tiredness or bruises.

"Good, went well just as usual," he spoke soothingly. He knew you got nervous in the run-up to actually going on stage so he welcomed any distractions you threw his way. "Everyone's here by the way, and they were so excited when they saw their view for the show. They sent me back here with a million thanks."

You ducked your head as you smiled, "I can't wait until I can join you guys after the show," you remark, your hands fiddling with the buttons of his shirt cuffs.

"I know, but my girl has a job to do now," Quinn nodded his head behind you where your assistant had been trying to stall everyone attempting to sort you out for the show. "Go on out there and give it your all, baby,"

"I'll see you after?" You questioned as Quinn moved his hands to hold yours briefly.

"Oh, you're all mine after," he smirked and pressed a quick kiss to your lips before pulling away.

"Quinn!" You called after him which caused him to turn and face you, "Enjoy the show!"

"You know I will!”

—

Your show had started flawlessly from the moment you'd stepped out onto the stage. The crowd tonight was insane, all of them an array of colours and varying screams. You'd been beaming from the second you'd started performing, the type of smile that couldn't be faked which only seemed to widen whenever you caught a glimpse of Quinn and his teammates and friends in their box.

You were five songs into your set when your first scheme began to kick in. Your eyes had been drawn towards Quinn almost every few minutes, so it hadn't taken your fans long to realise exactly who was in that section. The majority of them pointing their phones towards the team to catch their various reactions.

"Vancouver!" You exclaimed gleefully into your microphone. "I want to hear all of you singing along…I want you to be the loudest crowd I've had yet!"

The opening beats of your next song flooded the stadium and a roar of excitement swept over the crowd. You let a mischievous grin creep onto your face as your plan set into action.

"Now, this song, I wrote on the balcony of a boy's apartment. It took me twenty minutes to write and two minutes to adore," you explained as the elongated intro played. "I found myself in love with someone, and all of a sudden, everything I felt was just...nonsense."

This song was one of your more ‘upfront' songs. You'd written after a date with Quinn one month into your relationship. You'd been sitting on his lap on the balcony of his apartment when inspiration had struck. You remembered his arms tightening around you as you scribbled the words on a crumpled napkin in front of you. It was honestly one of the more fun songs for you to perform, not only because of how entertaining the lyrics were but because you were able to make up a new outro with each city you'd been in and tonight was no different.

As you sang the song, your scheme rolled right into place, and your lips twitched up.

"I don't even know I'm talkin' nonsense, I'm talkin', I'm talkin', "I'm talkin' all around the clock." you swayed your hips as you moved towards the part of the stands where you knew Quinn and the Canucks were located.

“I'm talkin' you on the Canucks, I'm talkin' opposite of soft, I'm talkin' wild, wild thoughts," your cheeky grin spread across your face as you winked towards the man you loved. You danced the routine dance, giggling slightly as the change of words didn't go unnoticed by anybody which resulted in a series of high-pitched yelps and gasps. “You gotta keep up with me, I got some young energy, I caught the L-O-V-E, How do you do this to me?"

The energy maintained its high level as you made your way to centre stage, where you were the only one left by now. You held your mic towards the crowd for them to sing feeling yourself tear up slightly when they echoed clearly off of the stadium walls.

"This song catchier than chickenpox is, I bet your house is where my other sock is, Woke up this morning, thought I'd write a pop hit!"

"How quickly can you take your clothes off pop quiz?" You joined in before pausing slightly with a tilt of your head, a small hush of anticipation fell over the audience as they waited for your new outro.

"No, Mom, I swear this is not a phase," you grinned as you leaned towards the crowd, "I love hockey ‘specially when my man plays… but hush, you guys have my heart, BC Place.”

You let the cheers roll over you as you lowered your mic and feigned a curtsy, your lips drawing back into a smile as you waited for your next song to begin.

–

Ten songs later and the night was coming to a close. You knew you had two more nights in the city but a twinge ricocheted through your heart at the thought of having to leave again.

"Alright, BC Place, this is our last song for tonight!" You spoke with a smile as your words were instantly met with a chorus of booing. Sweat had gathered along your hairline, and your once meticulous look had now been somewhat displaced due to your dancing around, yet, you couldn't be happier. “I know, I know…”

You bit your lip as disgruntled and sorrowful yells of “more” and “no!” rang out all around.

"I just want to say that you guys have been incredible tonight, and there's no other place I'd rather be than here performing for you tonight. And so, for this final song, I want everyone up and dancing! I want you to scream the lyrics, cry the lyrics— honestly, as long as you guys are having fun, you don't even need to know the lyrics..." You continued brushing hair out of your face.

"I just want you to let loose as much as possible! So, my wonderful and beautiful audience, for the final time tonight, enjoy the song…this is Karma!”

The intro to your final song was met with a flurry of excitement, your fingers waggling as you waved to the crowd with a knowing smile.

"You're talking shit for the hell of it," You sang out the opening line, your eyes moving across the crowd as your dancers got into formation. "Addicted to betrayal, but you're relevant,"

As the song continued, you moved gracefully across the stage, trying to give as much attention to each side of the stadium as possible. Your heart was thudding so loud you swore you could hear it despite the volume of the room.

This was it. Your final scheme of the night.

"'Cause Karma is the thunder, rattling your ground, Karma's on your scent like a bounty hunter, Karma's gonna track you down," you moved closer to centre stage, your eyes focused ahead of you. "Step by step and town from town,"

"Sweet like justice, karma is a queen, Karma takes all my friends to the summit," your eyes glinted with mischief as you waltzed to the part of the stage closest to where Quinn was standing, managing to lock eyes with the man himself.

"Karma is the guy on that team," you smirked, curling your fingers in a come hither motion towards your boyfriend. You knew the camera broadcasting to the screens on either side of the stage briefly flitted toward Quinn and the Canucks before they refocused on you. "Coming straight home to me!"

Your words were met with a deafening thunder of screaming, as you giggled, winking up at the box where you swore you could see Quinn grinning, blushing under the stadium lights, his teammates nudging him with laughter. You waved towards them one last time before continuing your performance.

Once Karma’s last beat fell upon your ears, you found yourself so overwhelmed with love and joy. “Thank you, Vancouver, good night!” You cheered, waving and blowing kisses to the crowd before, you were ushered off the stage.

Your heart was racing as you exited backstage, the sound thrumming in your ears, fizzling along every nerve in your body. Your body was practically vibrating with adrenaline as people around you patted you in congratulations whilst someone began to take off your mic pack.

Your eyes jolted around the room and the chaos it inhabited. Your lip was between your teeth as the swell of adrenaline simmered out, your eyes continuing their search until they finally landed on the bright smile you yearned to see.

You quickly brushed off those around you as you half ran, half skipped towards Quinn, who caught you in his arms and allowed you to press your smiling lips to his.

“You were insane out there,” he beamed proudly, his arms around your waist as he pulled away from your kiss.

“You liked it?” You questioned softly, with your eyebrows drawn together with a nervous smile as your fingers traced his cheekbones.

“Of course I did,” Quinn teased, pressing a chaste kiss to your temple as the two of you began to move towards the dressing rooms. “but changing the lyrics? People will start to think you like me, sweetheart…”

You found yourself laughing, your head dropping as he tightened his arm around your waist.

“Why would they ever think that?!”

pls ignore how bad the nonsense outro is, it was one of five outros I tested and it was the one that worked the best 😭

VI FROM ARCANE WITH PILLOWPRINCESS READER?!?! PLEASEEE ILL TAKE ANYTHING DUDEEE 🙏🙏🙏🙏

send me vi thirsts and i'll give u my hand in marriage

yes bc i feel like she'd love this lowkey midkey AND highkey bc vi's love language is def like 50/50 acts of service and physical touch and she'd love the fact that you trust her so much w/ ur pleasure, the fact that she gets to have this control, and you're always so obedient for her, always asks for permission -- the first time she'd gotten you to the edge and you'd sunk your fingers into her hair, thrashing beneath her, but still forcing yourself to look up at her with your big, watery eyes, asking --

"p-please v-vi -- can -- can i?"

she knew that she was done for like done for, the way she knew if she said no, you'd listen. the thought had made her head feel woozy, so much so that her fingers had almost paused inside you, and you'd keened, thighs squeezing around her wrist bc you were so, so close.

"holy shit -- yeah, sweetness -- fuck, yeah, come for me --"

and it's not like she doesn't know how much you like it when she manhandles you a bit; she likes it too, she likes it alot actually, how she can jerk you down the length of the bed, press your knees up all the way to your shoulders, wrap her fingers around your neck, or just hold you down and kiss you till you're shaking apart beneath her.

she likes too that all she has to do is say the word, and you'd drop to your knees for her, pliant and willing, your lips falling open for her fingers or her cunt, how you'd make these happy little mewling noises when buried between her legs, so long as she got a hand on your head, a thumb rubbing your cheek.

"do you... do you ever wish i'd do more... stuff?" you ask one day, crinkling your nose, frowning absently down at vi's hair as you braid the longer bits into a single plait, only to tug it loose and do it all over again.

vi glances over her shoulder, "more... stuff?"

"yeah like... be more active when we're, y'know --"

vi laughs, tugging you into her lap, "if you're asking if i'm happy with our sex life, sweetness, the answer is yes, very."

you sigh, nodding even as you tuck your nose into her curve of her neck.

"okay. just asking."

she runs her thumbs against your skin, drawing circles into your waist.

"why? are you happy with it?"

you nod so hard that you almost topple out of her arms, but she catches you, grinning. "yeah! of course i am!"

"then, what's the problem, princess?"

"nothing! just..."

"c'mon pretty, spit it out," she takes your chin between a thumb and forefinger, giving your face a tiny shake. your breath hitches; satisfaction unfurls in vi's chest.

"i saw something online about -- how being too passive isn't a good thing and --"

"ooookay, i'm gonna cut you off right there --" she hoists you up, twisting you around so you're straddling her lap, your face now parallel to hers. she loves the way you're so easy to read, loves that you don't hide your attraction to her, how all she has to do is twitch her lips and you're already gasping.

"open your mouth for me, pretty girl," she says, and you do, your mouth dropping open as she swipes a thumb along your bottom lip before pushing it forward till it's resting on your tongue. you whine softly, hips shifting, but you hold still till she nods her head, "go on, suck."

you close your lips immediately, your tongue laving at the pad of her thumb. she lets out a clipped groan, watching. a few seconds later, she pulls it out with a light pop, grinning as she tracks the slick finger down your chin, tracing up the line of your jaw till she's got her hand cupping the back of your neck.

"that feel very passive to you?"

your lashes flutter, confusion gathering in your eyes before you lick your lips, blush, and give your head a tiny shake. she smiles.

"good answer. so? are we good now, princess?"

"yeah. we are."

"good!" she gives you a quick kiss, patting your hip, "what'dyou want for dinner? i'm thinkin'... it's been a while since we've been to jericho's."

you pout, "what about that other place we've been talking about?"

"what on the wharfside docks?"

"yeah...?"

vi rolls her eyes, even as she sits up and motions for you to get up. you jump up with a bright smile. she sighs, folding her arms.

"go get dressed. ugh, passive -- dunno what you were thinkin' when you asked me that princess."

When it hits 9 pm and I pull out this combo:

Ps: I have severe writers block. Help

Simon Riley

⋆ ˚｡⋆౨ৎ˚ AFLAME !

pairing : firefighter!ellie x rescued!reader

synopsis : your apartment goes up in flames and you're unlucky enough to have been on the top floor, your front door blocked by fire. thankfully, a certain firefighter finds you before it's too late

a/n : ok this literally took so long to write i cannot ,, but im so excited to finally be posting it bc i feel like u guys will like it !

wc : 7.7k

your back is pressed against the wall of your kitchen as you clutch your cat in your arms. she mews in your hold, growing more restless by the second. you can hear the frantic shouting of firemen running up and down the halls of your apartment, rescuing your neighbors one by one. but your door is engulfed in flames, making it impossible for you to show them any sign of you being trapped in here.

oxygen is slowly depleting as your breaths become less like breaths and more like sharp gasps of air. your throat burns and your skin stings with the heat.

your cat, amber, shifts in your arms, wanting to move and breathe without struggle. you hush her, fighting tears as you begin to lose hope in ever being rescued. amber continues to meow loudly, her voice becoming more raw by the second. you shush her, not wanting her to waste her breath on trying to get your attention.

you run a gentle hand down her back, coughing as you try to comfort her. tears run down your cheeks as her mewing doesn't cease. your hand begins to shake as you caress her fur.

sirens can be heard from the street, muffled by your closed window and thin walls. your initial thought had been to open your window for air, but you knew better than to feed the flames with oxygen, so you settled in your kitchen as far away from the fire as possible and fell to your knees with amber against you.

firefighters continue to walk down the hall, calling out things you cannot hear. you recognize the croaky voice of your neighbor. silently, you're glad she managed to get out safe. she'd always been a very kind old woman to you, offering you burnt cookies and warm stories of her grandchildren.

amber continues to scratch and paw at you. you blink away tears and give her a weak smile, feeling the lack of oxygen begin to get to your head. you're delirious and in pain. you'd hurt your arm when you pulled amber out of the debris that'd become of the bathroom. you cut it open on the splintering door, the wood digging right into your forearm without mercy. you can feel the warm blood running down your arm and between your fingers where you hold amber firm against your chest. you try not to focus on the pain, though, rather directing your attention to managing your low source of air.

you hear footsteps begin to descend down the staircase and you can't help the tears that begin to pool down your face at the thought of being left up here. your shoulders tremble as you sob into amber's fur.

you can't go anywhere near the door without being burnt alive. you can't open any windows without your entire apartment exploding with you inside. you can't scream for help because you know nobody would hear you anyway.

the sudden sound of someone pounding on your door brings your mind away from its decent into despair. you instantly sit up straight, amber still restless and eager for play. you watch with blurred vision and a throbbing head as someone bangs on your door. after a moment, it flies off its hinges as a red boot comes barreling through the wood.

"in here!" you shout, staggering to your feet as the firefighter enters your apartment. your body sways on your feet due to exhaustion as the person follows the sound of your voice into the kitchen.

they enter, a gas mask covering their face. they say something to you, but your ears are ringing with the disbelief that they were able to find you. their hands reach forward, offering to hold amber.

see, you know it's unfair and you know you shouldn't, but you refuse. you shake your head, holding amber closer to your chest. she'd always been your dearest possession, and is now your only possession as the rest have been burnt to char. the firefighter nods, not thinking it wise to put up a fight with you.

"ah, shit, your arm." the firefighter mutters. their feminine voice points out that they are, apparently, a woman. "okay, okay. listen, you hold your cat and i'll carry you."

you blink, "what? i don't⎯"

"don't be difficult, now." she orders, crouching down before you can deny her the chance. she puts one arm under your knees, the other across your back. then, bridal style, she hauls you into her arms.

the room swims around you, your head throbbing and your throat raw. not to mention the indescribable pain in your arm. everything swirls and blurs under your delirious gaze. you lean back into her chest, amber meowing loudly at the stranger holding you.

the woman walks toward the front door, making sure to cover your face with her gloved hand as she passes through the flamed doorway. you cough when you're in the hallway, your chest constricting with the amount of smoke in your lungs.

"shh, you're fine. you're okay, i got you." the woman mutters as she begins to descend the concrete stairway. and, for some reason, you believe her.

you turn your focus toward her, staring at what you can make out of her face through her blackened gas mask. you can see her pale green eyes narrowed as her lashes blink repeatedly as she rushes down the steps whilst simultaneously trying not to jostle you too much. her lips are pursed in concentration, the bridge of her nose catching the light as she turns a corner at a landing.

"how'd you know i was in there?" you ask, your words slurred and your voice groggy.

"ma'am, please. just rest." she instructs, her gaze flicking down to your face for a split second before looking back forward. "we don't need to make conversation when you're clearly disturbed and in pain. just relax."

"i can't rest. my head hurts too bad." you say, shaking your head. "just⎯ answer my questions and i promise to leave you alone."

"okay fine." she sighs. "i knew you were in there because your elderly neighbor was a rather feisty woman. she threatened us with her butcher knife, saying she'd stab us and sue our company if we didn't make sure to save you and your cat."

a small smile tugs at your lips. you shut your eyes, tipping her head back. "mm, sounds like her."

"she's quite terrifying." the firefighter comments.

"she's a good person, most the time. she has a huge family and cares for them deeply, she just⎯ she knows i don't have anyone so she treats me like a part of her family." you murmur.

if you weren't so high in delirium, there's no way you'd be saying all this to a random stranger. frankly, you're a rather private person. you only open up to those you're close with and feel comfortable confiding in. take your neighbor for example. you've lived beside her for the past three years.

when you open your eyes, the woman is gazing down at you. her footsteps have become less frantic as she watches you with parted lips.

the two of you have now reached the foyer. a few other firefighters are seen with hoses and blankets for the rescued residents. the woman carries you across the linoleum flooring, the heels of her boots thudding loudly as she crosses the space to get to the large glass door.

once you're outside, you can feel amber relish in the fresh air. her incessant mewing ceases and she begins to purr. your heart clenches as the sound, pitying the fact that she's so happy about something so little such as fresh air.

"williams!" a voice calls out as the woman ⎯ who is apparently named williams, though you're fairly certain that's her last name ⎯ carries you over to a nearby ambulance. "what the hell took you so long!? we were worried sick!"

"oh calm down." williams replies, easing you down onto the edge of the ambulance where the back doors are open.

a paramedics rushes up to you with a roll of gauze. with you now tended to, williams turns away from you to focus on the man in front of her. still, despite the attention you're getting from the paramedic, she refuses to stray too far from where you sit.

after a moment of you swaying back and forth gently as someone wrapping bandages painfully tight around your arm, you hear your neighbors shrill voice call out for you from across the parking lot.

"oh, dear!" she shouts as she rushes toward you, her floral shirt tattered and covered in debris, her grey hair laced with ash. overall, she appears unharmed and you relax a bit at the sight. "oh, i haven't been able to rest until i knew you were okay, but⎯" her eyes trail down to where blood is seeping through the gauze around your forearm. "turns out you're not unharmed."

"it's just a cut, agnes." you insist, still holding amber in your lap as your arm throbs with even more pain than before now that the paramedic has wrapped the bandage far too tightly around your skin. "i'm fine⎯"

"oh, you always say that." she waves a hand at you dismissively.

she then turns to williams, recognizing her to have been the woman that she'd forced into rescuing you earlier. anges tugs on her arm to get her attention, causing williams to turn to face her. she removes her gas mask to be more respectful when speaking to a resident. at the sight of williams' uncovered face, you nearly faint. she looks as though she'd been chiseled from stone and created by a sculptor who was desperately in love with their muse.

"yes, ma'am?" she inquires, turning to agnes with a raised brow.

"i told you guys to get her out of there unharmed!" she reprimands, seething with rage as she gestures toward where you're being tended to. the paramedic is now offering you pills and water for your headache.

williams blinks, taken aback by the blame suddenly pointed toward her. "i don't⎯"

"it wasn't her fault," you interrupt, "i hurt myself trying to save amber."

"still. had the firefighters been there sooner, you wouldn't have had to save your poor cat all on your own." agnes points out, insistent on blaming the woman in front of her.

"i sincerely apologize, ma'am, but you must know that⎯"

"i don't want to hear it!" she interrupts her, holding a hand out to stop her from speaking any further. "to make it up to her, you're now responsible for finding her a place to stay."

"but⎯"

"no buts!"

williams snaps her mouth shut, likely remembering the image of when agnes held her at knifepoint and threatened her entire career. you smile to yourself at the idea of such a sweet old lady scaring the shit out of some buff firefighter.

agnes turns to face you with a soft expression. "you don't worry about a thing, dear. she will figure it all out for you. she'll make sure you have food on your plate and a roof over your head. if not, i'll make her regret it."

she places a gentle hand on your shoulder as she speaks, the last sentence laced with passive aggressiveness to williams, who stands off to the side with furrowed brows. after her assurance, agnes trots off with her infamous prideful stride. the other residents of your apartment scowl at her as she walks by, nobody being a fan of her fiery personality aside from you.

williams sighs, turning to you with a raised brow. "a good person, huh?"

"i said most the time." you point out with a playful smile.

no longer losing a significant amount of blood or with a throbbing headache, you're far less feverish, now able to speak without slurring or letting random facts about yourself slip.

williams sits down beside you, allowing her head to tip back. you stare shamelessly, enraptured by the way her chest rises and falls with heavy breaths or the bits of ash and dirt smudged across her skin. after a moment, she turns to you, removing her gloves and pulling her phone from her pocket. "suppose i should start looking for nearby hotels for you, right?"

you scoff, "you don't need to do that. she was just being protective."

"no, no." she insists. "she was right about one thing. and thats the fact that you wouldn't have been hurt if i got there sooner."

"don't blame yourself, williams, i'm fine."

"ellie." she corrects you with a brow raised in amusement.

you narrow your eyes at her. "what?"

"my name." she tells you with a light chuckle shaking her chest. "call me ellie. only my coworkers call me williams. it's for formality's sake. and, quite frankly, i hate it."

"oh, i'm sorry. i just heard someone call you that and i⎯"

"its fine." she tells you with a small smile. she shakes her head and turns back to her phone, typing for a place to stay in the search bar.

she scrolls through the options for a few minutes. while she does so, you busy yourself with checking amber for any possible wounds or marks. you hold her in the air, making sure to put most of her weight on your uninjured arm as your other still aches with residual pain.

the paramedic didn't give you any ointment or stitches, though you likely needed them. he'd simply wrapped your arm, albeit painfully tight, handed you some pills, then sauntered off to the next wounded resident.

"damn it," you hear ellie mutter under her breath. you turn your attention back to her. she feels your eyes on her and she explains. "none of the hotels accept cats and all the motels are closed."

"i told you i'll be fine." you tell her, a pang of guilt shooting through you. "anges is just⎯"

"protective, i know." she finishes for you. she turns off her phone and stuffs it back into her pocket and turns to face you with brows furrowed in thought. "and don't you dare tell me not to worry after you just told me that you have no family. i know you have nowhere else to go."

you tense at the mention of your family, instantly feeling embarrassed and a bit ashamed even. you shakes your head, "still. it's not your issue to concern yourself with."

"it's literally my job." she points out.

you sigh, knowing you won't win this argument against her. she turns to face forward, staring at the starry sky in thought. meanwhile, you turn toward the opposite direction, seeing that the aflamed building has now been put out. despite that, it pains you to see the apartment you lived in for the past few years in shambles. not all the neighbors were as kind as agnes, but you still called that place home. and now it's gone.

you hold amber tightly against you, her warm fur serving as comfort against the chill of pain that traces up your spine. she purrs against you, nestling deeper into your chest for more pets.

"i have an idea." ellie suddenly blurts out. you turn to look at her, seeing her expression now overcome by newfound determination. "stay with me."

you're instantly taken aback by the proclamation, your brows shooting up as your lips part in shock. "what?"

"my house isn't far from here. come back with me to the fire station so i can change and pick up my car, then we can head over there and you can stay with me for as long as you need until you find yourself a place." she says, her tone making it sound as though it were obvious all along.

"you mean it?" you ask, voice small.

"of course." she confirms. "plus, how could i say no to such a cute cat?"

she reaches out and pets amber gentle behind her ear. she leans into the touch, shutting her eyes and purring loudly. you smile, allowing the two of them a moment to connect. especially considering that you have no idea how long you'll be staying with ellie for.

"this means a lot to me." you say, causing ellie to lift her head and peer up at you, still gently caressing amber. your entire body is overcome with a sense of gratitude for ellie williams and the unintentional safety her presence provides you with. "i mean it."

***

twenty minutes later, you find yourself amid chaos. you rode with ellie back to the fire station and now you're standing awkwardly as everyone files out of their respective trucks. some of them are covered head to toe in soot and grime. others appear unscathed. ellie herself is somewhere between the two ⎯ in need of a shower, but not repulsing in her uncleanliness. you, on the other hand, are extremely dirty and bloody and gross.

amber sleeps in your arms are you press your back against a nearby brick wall and watch the firefighters all bound around the space. some of them are changing right there in the locker room ⎯ which doesn't have a door, by the way, though it's around a corner. others are rushing to the parking lot, desperate to get home.

"sorry," ellie apologizes as she rushes up to you. she no longer wears her hat, short brown hair askew atop her head. she runs her hands through it, giving you a sincere look. "i forgot how hectic it can be to someone who's not used to this."

you have a hand, "ah, it's fine."

secretly, you're dying inside. not only because your headache is beginning to reform at the sudden mayhem, but because ellie looks so fucking good right now. she saved your life and you know it's likely disrespectful to be so attracted to her, but you can't help it. you know what it feels like to be held in her arms and looked at with delicacy and you can't stop yourself from yearning for more.

"you sure?" she ask. "because if you're fine with it, i might just⎯"

"woah there, williams!" one of her coworkers calls out, walking up and draping his arm over her shoulders playfully. "you kidnapped one of the residents?"

she rolls her eyes, though a small smile can be seen on tugging at her lips. "haha, very funny. no, asshole, i didn't kidnap her. she needs somewhere to stay so i offered my place."

the man raises a brow at this, intrigued. he removes his arm from her shoulders and peers down at you curiously. though, once his eyes land on the sleeping cat in your hands, he breaks out into a wide grin. he holds out his hands. "oh my god! please, please, please can i hold him?"

you shoot the man a scowl, turning amber away from his sight. "not a chance. and she's a girl."

his eyebrows shoot up at your protectiveness. he turns to ellie, waiting for her to defend him. she crosses her arms, shaking her head with a chuckle. "she loves her damn cat, man, can't do anything about that."

he sighs, but says nothing to win your favor. he simply grumbles under his breath about being filthy and scurries off to the showers, already stripping his shirt off on his way there.

with him gone, ellie turns to you with a smirk. "glad to see that i'm not the only one who's denied touching your cat at first."

"of course not." you say. "nobody gets to touch her after the tough day she's had."

"that's fair." ellie agrees with a light laugh. after a moment, she says, "anyway. i was going to ask if you're okay with me showering and changing here instead of waiting until we're back home. that way, once we get back, you can have the shower all to yourself while i prepare you a place to sleep."

you nod, "yeah, of course. do whatever works best for you, ellie, i'm not picky."

"okay." she replies, seeming grateful for your flexibility. she glances over her shoulder toward where the locker rooms are. "okay, yeah. you wait on the bench over here, i'll come out and get you when i'm done."

she gestures toward a wooden bench. it's rather ragged and positioned in the very center of the chaos, but you nod regardless. ellie is offering you a place to stay for an undecided amount of time. refusing her orders would be incredibly rude at this point. so, instead, you nod and walk over to the bench whilst she walks over to the women's locker room.

you cross your legs, allowing amber to sleep in your lap as you wait. you can hear the low hum of people talking from deeper within the building ⎯ likely where the offices and more professional rooms are located ⎯ along with the gentle flow of water from the showers down the hall. people are laughing loudly within the locker rooms, the sound of boots and hats and clothes hitting the floor easy to pinpoint.

you allow your eyes to examine the space around you. the floor is concrete, stained with random spills and dirt. hoses and ladders line the brick walls, hung up as high as they can go. then, on the ceiling, large industrial lights sway gently back and forth. the showers are down the hallway, the men and women's locker rooms on either side of the hall.

suddenly, a loud rumble is heard as the huge garage door is lifted up via pulley. your head snaps toward the sound, watching as a bright red truck pulls into the space.

another wave of firemen bustle into the building once a truck shows up and they're able to pile out of it. they rush in different directions, splitting up in groups of those wishing to change and clean and those who wish to go home as soon as possible.

you avert your eyes down to look at amber as the people walk around you, trying not to draw attention to yourself. though, that's rather inevitable as you stick out like a sore thumb. everyone else is in their uniforms while you're in normal clothes, ash and dirt on your skin with a bloodied bandage wrapped around your forearm that you're trying your hardest to ignore.

and, unfortunately, amber draws quite a bit of attention as you hear a few people murmur and coo in awe of the sleeping cat. you tell yourself to ignore it, uncomfortable with the attention.

"hey," someone says. you look up to see a man standing in front of you with two of his friends on either side of him. he's covered in dirt, the stench of fire filling your nose as he nears you. "cute cat."

"thanks." you say shortly, narrowing your eyes at him defensively.

"oh c'mon, i'm not gonna bite." he says with a laugh. you only deepen your glare at this, already able to know what type of guy you're dealing with here. "what's your name, little lady? come here alone? y'know, i could take ya home if ya need a warm bed for the night. we could share."

he takes a step closer, his knees knocking with your crossed ones. he hunches a bit to reach his hand toward amber. you instantly slap it away, not thinking before using your injured arm. you wince a bit, but fight not to show the pain it causes you. he yanks his hand back as though he'd been burned.

"fuck off." you snap. "at least have the decency to ask before touching her."

"watch it." he sneers. "i've been out saving people all day. i don't need some ungrateful bitch to tell me what i can and can't do."

you roll your eyes. "clearly you do, seeing as you can't tell for yourself what's acceptable."

"how dare you!" he gapes.

his friends both step closer, the three of them crowding you. your arm aches at your side from having used it so carelessly to slap him away. you don't falter, though, knowing that's exactly what they want you to do. instead, you hold your ground and scowl up at him, holding the man's gaze without blinking.

"it's common fucking etiquette to not touch someone without asking." you tell him.

"i didn't touch you, dumbass." he says, his voice growing louder with each word. a few people are beginning to turn toward the commotion, nosily wondering what's going on. "i touched your cat. big fucking difference, there."

"the principle still stands." you point out, keeping your expression neutral and your voice perfectly level ⎯ which only serves to make him more irritated. "you're supposed to ask before reaching your grimy ass hands toward me."

"fuck you!" he shouts, now gaining the attention of everyone around you. "i already fucking told you⎯"

"what the hell is going on here?"

all four of you turn to see ellie standing with her arms crossed. her jacket is off, a thin black tank top covering her top half while her baggy uniform pants cover her lower half. her hair is wet, chin dripping water droplets to the cement floor.

at the sight of her, the two friends seem to no longer be interested in the conversation as they suddenly disappear from the scene. the man in front of you frowns, taking a step away from you though his chest continues to rise and fall with angered breaths.

"answer me, smith." she demands, voice laced with venom. "i asked what the hell is going on here and i don't like being ignored by lower ranks."

"i asked to pet her cat and she⎯"

"no he didn't." you interrupt, the entire left side of your body engulfed in pain after having hit the guy's hand. and you didn't even hit him that hard, damn. "he reached out to touch her without asking. not to mention his horrible flirting."

ellie listens to you intently before casting her gaze over to the man, smith. "so you lied to me?"

"what? n-no! i just⎯" he stammers, eyes flicking between you and ellie, frantic for his coworker to understand. "why are you taking her side over mine, williams? we've worked together for⎯ what? two years?"

"yeah, and you're renown for being a complete asshole." she scoffs.

"but she⎯"

"she is a civilian. and it's our job to protect and respect them, is it not?" she points out, raising her brows as he nods, ashamed. "that includes not cursing at them, calling them bitches, or touching them without permission."

"it wasn't her!" he exclaims. "it was just the damned cat!"

"don't touch her fucking cat, man." calls out the guy who ellie had talked to earlier. the one she seemed to actually enjoy being around. he appears to have just gotten out of the shower, naught but a towel around his waist to substitute as clothing.

"gee, i had no idea." smith grounds out through clenched teeth, his fists balled at his sides. "i can fucking see that now. thanks."

"anytime, buddy." the other man says with a wink before disappearing back into the locker room.

ellie continues to stand behind smith her her arms crossed, her thin tank top showing off every muscle in her torso. you have to force yourself not to stare, distracting yourself by petting amber's back delicately.

"apologize." ellie demands.

"what? me?" he asks, confused. "but⎯"

"i'm not fucking asking, smith." she threatens. "apologize to the pretty lady or i tell miller about this whole thing and you lose your damn job."

apparently, the mention of miller seems to snap smith into obedience as he quickly nods his head and turns to you with a scowl. his fists continue to shake at his sides, his anger balled between his fingers there.

"i'm. sorry." he grunts.

you should accept it, you know you should. but you were never good at doing what you're supposed to. so, instead, you tilt your head innocently and ask, "sorry for what exactly?"

he appears on the edge of insanity as he clenches his jaw and rushes out a quick explanation. "i'm sorry for trying to touch your cat."

"without..." you trail off, allowing him to follow.

"without asking." he finishes.

you smile victoriously, nodding to ellie as to allow her to dismiss him. she obliges, turning to him and giving him one last lecture on respect and obedience before allowing him to make the walk of shame back to the locker room full of men who just heard that entire encounter.

when he turns the corner, ellie walks up to you with a playful grin. "damn, you surely stood your ground there."

"of course i did." you agree. "not just anyone can touch my cat."

she huffs out a laugh, shaking her head at you fondly. "c'mon, lets get out of here. the shower was freezing anyway. all these assholes stole the hot water before i even had a chance."

"okay." you smile, shifting amber in your arms before standing from the bench.

the two of you walk out of the fire station and into the parking lot. the moon hangs high in the sky, casting a silver glow over the parked cars. you watch ellie as she pulls her keys from her pocket and unlocks her vehicle. the moonlight illuminates her skin with a soft hue, her wet hair clinging to the back of her neck.

you reach the car and enter the passenger's seat, holding amber in your lap as ellie puts the key into the ignition the car rumbles into motion. she backs out of the parking space and heads down the road, one hand on the wheel as the other is lazily draped over the center console between the two of you.

you watch through the window as the city passes you by in a blur, cars and shops reflect the moon's glow, everything cast under its resplendent coloring. you turn to ellie, deciding to fill the air with conversation.

"so you're a high rank firefighter?" you ask. "sure looked like those guys respected the fuck out of you."

she chuckles, "i'm ranked high, yes. but they only listen to me because the boss will always take my side over any of theirs and they knows that."

"miller?" you question, recalling the name she'd spoken.

"yeah. joel miller." she confirms. "he's an intimidating man and you'd have to be a fool not to be scared of him."

"are you? scared of him, i mean."

"i was." she says. "but after a few years of working under him and getting to know him as a person rather than just his position of authority, i feel i know him too well to be scared of him."

you hum, "that sounds nice, though. you have power over everyone else."

"yeah. sometimes i wish they'd just respect me without joel's reputation looming over my every move." she confesses with a sigh, her fingers drumming against the steering wheel lightly. "most of my coworkers would rather die than respect a woman, though, so i'm a bit out of luck there."

"well, fuck them." you say. "if they can't see your worth outside of your relationship with miller, their opinions don't mean shit."

her eyebrows shoot up at this, shocked by your sudden ferocity. once the initial shock dwindled, though, she laughs. a full-chested laugh that fills the car. your heart clenches at the sound, musical and luminary in its significance.

"yeah." she says between laughter. "yeah, fuck them."

you laugh along with her, the conversation falling into an easy rhythm. you get to know ellie better and she gets to know you, the both of you simultaneously coming to the decision that it'd be best to get the small talk out of the way before you live together for an undetermined amount of time.

amber remains curled up in your lap, her fur still covered in ash. not like you're much better yourself, though, as your hair is coated in soot and your skin has a thick layer of filth atop it.

when ellie pulls into her driveway, you're shocked to see the house. it's a small cottage-styled building, made of cobblestone and white shudders. the sidewalk is framed with bushes and flowers that have clearly been tended to by their owner. if you were completely honest, you'd expected ellie to live in some sort of industrial building, hardened and dark like her personality.

she shuts off the car and you both exit through your respective sides of the vehicle, amber jostling awake in your hold. ellie unlocks the front door before allowing you entry, the lock clicking as she turns the handle.

you walk inside, the space small but cozy. one bedroom, one bathroom, an open layout for the kitchen and living room. the flooring is wood, antique carpets laid out over the larger spaces. plaid blankets are draped over chairs and couches, available to the user.

"this is cute," you say, looking around, "didn't take you for a homey decor type."

she chuckles, shutting and locking the front door behind herself. "well i've gotta keep you on your toes somehow."

you laugh, placing amber on the floor to allow her time to roam and stretch her legs. in an instant, she's disappeared and won't be found for the next few hours. ellie leads you to the bathroom, allowing you time to clean off.

the bathroom is small as well, a tiny sink surrounded by a messy counter beside the toilet and tiny shower. if you're being completely honest, you love the house. it's so small and yet so comfy and warm. the disheveled nature to the house makes it feel more like a home, lived in and used. you love it. ellie, on the other hand, has been subtly tidying up as you guys walk through the space. while you examine the shower, she stacks up the messily placed contents of the countertop. when you turn back around to face her, she instantly stops, quick to cover up what she'd been doing. you find it oddly endearing.

"well," she murmurs, "i'll leave you to it."

with that and nothing more, she exits the bathroom. she'd already showed you how to use the shower and where to find towels so you're well prepared to wash off. but, as you strip your clothes off, a fiery pain shoots down your arm and up your side. you wince, looking down at the bandaged wound. it's bleeding through the material, your fingers beginning to feel numb from how tight it's wrapped.

you ignore it and step into the shower, trying to wash off without any thought for the searing pain in your limb. you wash your hair and scrub your body with your uninjured arm, the scent of ellie filling the air. her shampoo and body wash now coats you, a certain intimacy to the domestic act of sharing bathroom supplies. for some reason, the flutter in your heart is harder to ignore than the physical agony in your forearm.

you finish showering and wrap yourself in the towel ellie had set out for you. water drips onto the tile flooring, creating a puddle around you. you hug the towel closer to your body, not wanting to make a mess in ellie's home. but your arm suddenly aches at the way you tighten your grip.

with a groan, you decide to unwrap the wound and check on how it's doing. seeing as ellie is a firefighter, you're sure she's got some bandages under the sink. you undo it, instantly grimacing at the sight of the gore. you wince as cold air touches the open wound.

"fuck," you mutter, taking in the lack of care the paramedic put into helping you. there's no way you should have walked off without stitches or some kind of cleaning.

you crouch down to the cabinet under the sink and begin rummaging through its contents. you feel horrible for going through ellie's belongings in such a way, but you assure yourself it's for a good reason. you eventually find a first-aid kit and you crack it open.

unfortunately, you have no experience with medical care. half the things in the kit are foreign to you, random rolls of gauze and unlabeled ointments. you frown, the pain in your arm only growing as more time passes. eventually, you decide to just bite the bullet and ask ellie for assistance. you stand from the floor and close her cabinet before calling out to her.

"ellie! can you come in here for a sec?" you shout, sitting down on the closed toilet seat with the first aid kit in your lap. within seconds, she's opening the door, now changed into a pair of shorts and a random band tee.

"hey, what's—" her words instantly cut off when her gaze lands on your bloody arm, the wound no longer wrapped and now reopened. "holy shit, what are you doing?"

she rushes over to you, her voice laced with concern and desperation to help you. your eyes sting at the sound, never having heard someone so worried about you. you blink it away, looking down as you struggle to explain yourself. "the paramedic didn't wrap it well and— it, uh, hurt really fucking bad, and—"

"shh, shh," she walks over to you with soothing tones and gentle hands, "you're okay, let me see."

you hold your arm out to her, allowing her to examine it. she holds your wrist delicately in her hand, turning your arm over to look at the wound. she sucks in a breath at the sight. you frown, "is it that bad?"

"no, just," she sighs, "don't worry about it, okay? i'll fix it as best i can."

she crouches in front of you, taking a few things from the first aid kit. you watch as she picks out a specific ointment, her knowing exactly what to grab despite them not having labels. she then grabs a roll of gauze and a bottle of something, but the label is faced away from you. she sets the ointment and gauze aside, uncapping the bottle.

"this is gonna hurt." she warns you as she grabs a rag from the disarrayed countertop and pours a bit of the liquid onto the fabric. when she places the bottle aside you manage to read the name of it. hydrogen peroxide. she notices your wary gaze and gives you a reassuring smile. "it's a disinfectant, it'll clean the wound to prevent any infections."

you nod, sighing through your nose as you hold your forearm out to her. she watches you with furrowed brows as she places the rag over the open wound. you instantly stiffen, wincing through the pain. your jaw clenches as the liquid seeps into open flesh. you squeeze your eyes shut, "fuck that hurts." you pant.

"i know, i know," she whispers, gentility laced between the threads of her tone. "it's okay, you'll feel better soon, just— just breathe,"

you try to do was she instructs, but your breath comes out choppy and uneven. you open your eyes to see her staring up at you with pursed lips and a knitted brow. the sheer worry in her gaze adds weight to the air that suffocates you. it presses down on your chest and further constricts your lungs, which only serves to deepen her worry.

you force yourself to look away, focusing instead on the wall behind ellie's head. you stare at it intently, though you remain unable to shake the queasy feeling that comes with knowing ellie's eyes are on your face, tracing every feature that adorns it.

finally, she removes the rag from your arm and you're flooded with the relief of no longer being burned from the inside out. she sets the cloth aside and grabs the ointment, squeezing a small dot of it onto her forefingers.

"will this hurt too?" you ask tentatively.

she shakes her head, "no, this will soothe the pain."

"okay." you nod. "i'm far more excited for this part then."

"i don't blame you," she says with a light laugh.

she then leans forward holding you arm with an indescribably delicacy. you find yourself yearning to lean into her touch, wanting to collapse in her arms. but, somehow, you find the strength to hold back and remain sitting upright on the toilet seat. she runs her fingers down the soft part of your forearm, coating you torn skin in an off-white salve. the cool temperature instantly soothes the pain and you let out a soft sigh at the feel of it.

"oh yeah, this is so much better," you murmur, a small smile tugging at your mouth.

she looks up at you through her lashes, head remaining downcast as she carefully adds more ointment. "how'd this happen anyway? you just took the wrap off?"

"the paramedic wrapped it too tight." you explain. "my fingers were going numb and i could feel my heartbeat in my forearm. he didn't add any of this fancy shit you're adding either."

she chuckles, "ointment and disinfectant, you mean? it's hardly fancy. i'd have thought a paramedic would be smart enough to know that." her teeth grit slightly as she clenches her jaw around the mention of the incompetent medic who handled you earlier. she shakes her head, "i should've stayed with you and made sure he'd done his job right."

"that's not you obligation, ellie." you remind her. "and look. you're helping me now far better than any medic would have. i almost prefer it this way."

"oh really?" she asks, unconvinced. "you prefer to have some strange woman attempt to fix you up in her messy bathroom than a licensed and highly qualified paramedic in an ambulance?"

you shrug, "well he apparently wasn't that highly qualified."

"true," she agrees with a laugh.

she finishes coating on the ointment and twists the cap back onto it before setting it on the countertop beside the discarded rag and peroxide. she grabs the roll of gauze and begins to unravel it.

you watch her with lidded eyes, the events of today beginning to catch up to you. it's hard to believe you'd woken up this morning thinking it'd be a normal day. you'd just gotten back from work when you smelt smoke from one of your neighbor's apartments. the though didn't click in your head until you saw flames beginning to crawl into your home. one thing lead to another, and now you're here. in the house of someone who you hadn't known five hours ago.

"still," you murmur as she starts to wrap the gauze, "i prefer you helping me because you actually care about my wellbeing and not just making as much money as possible. you're kind, ellie. i'd be a fool to prefer a medic over you."

she lifts her head to meet your eyes, her movements coming to a sudden halt. her pale green eyes bore into your own, something sensual and momentous passing between the space that separates you. the bathroom is enveloped into a long wave of silence, nothing done nor spoken.

the weight of your situation presses down on you both. ellie, in her baggy shorts and stained band tee, having invited a wounded stranger into her home ; you, in naught but a towel, feeling more at home in ellie's vicinity than you ever did anywhere else.

a tether is tied between you as you feel the weight of the world pull you toward ellie. you lean in, just barely, ready for something you can hardly even process at the time being. she does the same, completely disregarding the gauze and pinning every ounce of her attention to you and the closing gap between you.

your noses brush and a spark ignites deep within you, something in your soul screaming that this is correct. a celestial puzzle clicks into place when your lips meet hers, the stars in the sky and the soil under mother nature screaming with victory as the two of you connect.

she tastes of fire and desperation, you of toothpaste and exhaustion. your wounded arm means nothing to you when you shift forward to wrap them both around ellie's neck and tug her closer. she does, rising to her knees as she places her hands on each of your hips, only a thin white towel separating her hands from your bare skin. she leans into you, allowing her hands to feel and memorize the curves of your poorly covered body.

"wait," she mutters against your mouth, "wait wait wait."

you pull back, staring at her with curiosity. her pupils are blown, cheeks flushed, lips wet. everything in you begs to lean back in, but you force that feeling down and oblige by her wishes to part. "what is it?" you ask.

"just—" she cuts herself off with a sigh, staring into your eyes with naught but adoration behind her irises. "i really like you and, uh," she looks down, blinking harshly as she tries to voice her thoughts without fucking it all up. your heart melts at the sight, remaining patient as she sorts through her jumbled mind. "i want to take my time with you. i don't want this to just be some fling. i respect you more than that."

you continue to stare at her, your eyes doing all the talking when your mouth is out of words to say. after a long moment, you finally say, "that's fine, ellie. we can do whatever you're comfortable with."

her shoulders relax at the sound of her name on your tongue, spoken with such careful delicacy that it sounds like music, like it should be praised and studied for hundreds of years to come. not only that, but she softens at your words as well, eternally grateful for your understanding.

"we can still kiss though," she's quick to add.

you laugh, shaking your head fondly at her rush to make sure that's out of the way. you lean in, still smiling as your lips touch. everything falls into place around you, nothing aside from ellie mattering to you.

⊹ ࣪ ˖𐙚 taglist : @luvsturniolo @zombieegirl @elliestunna