Summary: A deadly virus has taken over, steadily wiping out the population. You meet Tyler in the midst of chaos, agreeing to help each other try to survive as the virus claims life after life.
A/N: A random series because I love Contagion-like stories. Don’t worry, Josh is coming along for the ride too.
Pairing: Tyler Joseph x Reader
Warnings: mention of blood, sickness, anxiety
Word Count: 1254
Light.
You squeezed your eyes shut tightly, trying to hide from the antagonizing sun rays. A low hum filled your head, the sound of a shaky breath being drawn through your nose following the noise. Your body ached all over, dull pain crashing through you slowly like waves. What was happening?
Slowly, like you were scared, you opened your eyes, letting the warm glow soak in until it didn’t hurt as much. You made out a red car not too far away. Then there was a street. Another car with its door thrown open. A broken Stop sign. You were somewhere in the city, but why were you here? You turned your head the other way, rolling onto your back with a pained groan. More abandoned cars. No one was around.
A memory hit you with a jolt, images crackling through your mind like lightning. People were running. Why were they running? You grimaced as you sat up, trying to hold onto the memory, to unravel it to see more. People were screaming. The sound filled your head, coaxing your hands up to your ears. All you remembered was people panicking. You remembered walking and ….
You felt something dry under your fingertips. You explored the dry patch on the back of your head, drawing your fingers back to see dried flakes of old blood. You hit your head. How? You turned around to see the curb, a dark red stain on its grey surface. Someone had ran into you and knocked you over. Now, you were here, but how much time had passed?
After sitting up for a few minutes to let yourself adjust, you pushed yourself to your feet, immediately feeling unbalanced and nearly toppling over. You straightened yourself out and slowly walked down the street, taking in the aftermath. Cars were abandoned. Benches and signs were knocked over. It felt like a ghost town. No one was in sight. You drew in a nervous breath before continuing further into the city, a faint sound coming from a store up ahead. “Hello?” You called out timidly, something deep inside of you cursing you for opening your mouth.
The broken glass door of the clothing store flung itself open, a man stumbling out soon after, his mouth buried in the crook of his arm as he coughed violently.
You stopped abruptly, caught off guard by the man as he nearly brought himself to his knees coughing. You felt your throat close up, trapping your words in your chest as you took a step back.
“Help …,” the man gasped, breaking from his arm to gaze at you, his eyes bloodshot. Blood speckled his bottom lip, his appearance far from healthy. His clothes seemed to almost swallow him he appeared so frail and weak.
He looked sick. Was that why everyone was panicking? You felt your body grow rigid, your fear overriding your sense to move. Your eyes settled on the redness of his as he came closer, his hand, blood dotting his skin, reaching for you.
“Get away from him!” Another voice shouted from behind you, jarring you so much that you came to your senses.
You stumbled back, colliding with another body, a gasp sounding from you. You whipped around to face another man, a yellow bandana wrapped snugly over his mouth and nose. Before you could even process him, you felt his hands grab your arms and pull you behind him. You peered over his shoulder, watching the sick man stare him down. “What’s wrong with him?” You whispered.
“He’s sick, like all the rest. You didn’t touch him, right?”
“No,” you replied, backing up as the man with the yellow bandana started to.
“Please … help,” the sick man begged, his body trembling as he took another step forward. He fell into another coughing fit, face reddening from the harshness. “Just help me!” He suddenly shouted, head snapping up to glare at you and the other man.
Before you could panic at his reaction, your hand was grabbed and you were running. Fast. You attempted to keep pace with the man, who was leading you away from the sick man with a familiarity in his steps. He was taking you somewhere. You didn’t know either of them, but you felt like you should trust the healthy person over the sick one. So, you followed, letting him lead you into an old flower shop. It looked more intact than the rest of the buildings.
“You’re sure he didn’t touch you?” The man asked once the two of you were inside the shop, old dying flowers surrounding you.
You followed his eyes to where you were still holding hands. “I’m sure. I don’t feel sick … I just woke up,” you told him, looking up into his eyes, watching your frightened reflection within the dark hue.
The man nodded before releasing your hand, letting his reach up to pull the bandana off of his face. “I’m Tyler. You picked a great time to wake up.”
You cracked a hint of a smile at his humor, your head shaking in confusion. “Y/N. I remember when people started panicking, but someone ran into me and I hit my head. Mind filling in the blanks?” You asked him, watching him remove his black backpack and set it on the counter.
“You didn’t miss much. Honestly, I can’t fill in every blank because no one knows where it came from. People started getting sick. Fast. We were told to get inside and not touch anyone, so people started freaking out trying to get away from each other,” Tyler responded as he sifted through his backpack.
You glanced around you, noting the lights were off. The only way you could see Tyler in the shop was the sun through the glass windows. “It’s … It’s like a virus or something?” You asked, trying to make sense of what he was saying.
Tyler pulled out another yellow bandana from his backpack, his hand stretching out to offer it to you. “Yeah, I think so. I don’t really know what it does or if it’s fatal. Time will tell,” Tyler murmured, having already been through his panicked phase. He was in survival mode now.
You took it from him and wrapped it around your nose and mouth, tying it tightly behind your head. “What are we supposed to do?” Your evident panic came out in your words, your voice shaking a little. You were trying to keep yourself together, but it felt like you were choking on your own quick heartbeat, the pressure nearly paining you.
Tyler moved to stand in front of you, not too close, which was now out of habit, but close enough so that he could properly hold your gaze. “Listen, stay close to me. Don’t touch anyone. Don’t even touch anything until I find you a pair of gloves. I’ll watch out for you if you watch out for me, okay?”
You breathed in through your nose deeply, drawing the air through the bandana’s thin material. “Okay. I’m just … scared,” you murmured, clutching your hands nervously.
Even though he had done it earlier, Tyler cautiously placed one of his bare hands on yours, the motion comforting. “I know. I am too. I don’t know what’s out there,” he replied quietly, his head turning to stare outside of the flower shop’s window. He didn’t look for long. He knew that wouldn’t help you. “Come on, there’s some people I want you to meet.”
After weeks of being Parker’s favorite toy to play with, you were starting to come to your breaking point. You felt physically sick and incredibly anxious whenever you were around him, and you had to be around him a lot. On weekends when you tried to relax, tried to forget about what you were doing, Chase would usher you out of the house, ordering you to make plans with Parker to get closer. If you got any closer to him, his horrible personality, and his douchey friends you’d lose your mind.
“What the hell is the point? All he wants out of me is sex! I’m fucking sick of being used!” You yelled at your brother from across the small kitchen, your fists clenching in fury.
“And I’m fucking sick of burying another family member! Don’t be so selfish!” Your brother spat back, crossing the distance in a few angry strides, his words exploding right in your face as he came close.
“I hate Parker and his stupid friends. I don’t want to be around them,” you told him, voice shaky and wavering.
“Good. Use that hate and work harder. Logan throws parties. Parker goes to these parties. He is the only reason you’ll be able to get inside the Cades’ house without suspicion,” Chase replied, taking a step back and crossing his arms.
“I don’t understand why you can’t break into the fucking house by yourself,” you growled, words no longer filtered. You had so much hate, so much disgust building up within you, and you hated feeling such a way.
“Because I can’t risk getting arrested again. I have too many strikes,” Chase muttered as he turned away, eyes narrowing in frustration. He just needed you to do as he asked without argument. “Go see Parker. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind your company.”
“Fuck you,” you muttered bitterly, knowing the only way out was to suck it up, get invited to one of Logan’s stupid parties, and get whatever information Chase needed.
“It’s either this or the Cades putting you in a grave. Take your pick, little sister,” Chase replied as he headed for the front door, not bothering to meet your eyes, to pay you any more attention. He had made his point.
~*~
“Busy this Friday?”
You lifted your eyes slowly, body aching, head pounding with an intense headache. You watched Parker yank on his clothes, a pleased grin adorning his face. You shuddered a bit and gathered up the sheets of his bed closer to your chest, further covering your bare form. “Nope, why?” You asked, your curiosity soaring.
“You know my buddy, Logan? He’s having a little party, close friends only. Wanna come?” Parker invited you, selecting his words to further boost his ego.
This was your chance. You could end all of this. “Sure, sounds fun,” you replied, flashing him a smile as he turned to approach you.
“Great. Gotta show you off to the guys,” Parker laughed, slapping the outside of your thigh possessively.
You refrained from flinching, your fake smile nearly shattering at the unwanted contact. You had to play your part, had to draw him in even further. After taking in a breath, you returned the laugh, giving him a suggestive look as you pulled the sheets off of your body. “It’d be a waste if you didn’t,” you murmured as you gave your lip a suggestive bite. You could play him like an instrument, and he had finally started playing your song.
~*~
You woke up with a jolt, stomach churning as you distanced yourself from dream to reality. Well, that used to be your reality. You breathed in deeply, taking a moment to compose yourself, to identify yourself. You were not her. You were you. A rapid buzzing noise sounded to your left on the hotel nightstand, drawing your eyes to your phone where the name Big Boss popped up. Your mind took a step back, reflecting on what had happened before you went to bed. Oh, right. YOU KISSED ROB BENEDICT, A.K.A. YOUR BOSS. “Oh, fuck,” you automatically muttered out of panic, but a smile still pulled at your lips as you snatched up your phone to read his message.
Coffee in my room?
Anything in your room. You shook the suggestive thought away, noticing the sickness you felt having disappeared and been replaced with anxiousness. Good anxiousness. You really wanted to see him. But you had to protect him still, from yourself and others. You had to push him away, make him step back. But you didn't want to.
Coming.
You typed the message before removing yourself from your bed and throwing on casual clothes for the day. You really had reached a great level of comfort with him, and you were lost on what to do, whether to destroy that or embrace it. You decided to just see what he had to say before making any drastic decisions. After mentally gathering yourself for the hundredth time, you crossed the hall and knocked on his door.
A few seconds later, the wooden door popped open, an already dressed and ready to go Rob Benedict coming into your view.
“Oh, wow, you're already up and ready,” you commented, a hint of surprise in your tone. He was usually a bit slow moving in the morning after Friday nights, but he seemed wide awake and fully functioning.
“Oh, yeah, I just figured since I was up early I might as well,” Rob replied as he stepped back to let you inside, steaming hot coffee waiting on the desk near the window.
Your eyes skirted across the blue and black flannel that he had tucked into his dark jeans, a satisfied look flashing across your face as you made your way over to the awaiting coffee cups. “Couldn't sleep?” You questioned as you picked up one of the paper cups, steam gushing across your lips as you took a cautious sip.
A shy smile tugged at Rob’s lips as he approached to grab his own cup, his eyes flickering from the window to your eyes over his cup as he took a sip before answering. “Not really.”
There was tension in the room, not necessarily bad, but it felt like build-up. You had no idea what to, and deep down you were scared. You just wanted to have one good thing in your life that your past wouldn't mess up, and you really hoped Rob was that one good thing. “We should talk … about last night,” you started, eyes dropping momentarily.
Rob set his coffee back down on the table, fingertips drifting across the plastic lid before reaching out to touch your wrist, pulling your hand into his in a comforting hold. He pulled you to the bed so that the both of you could sit on its edge, bodies angling to face the other. “Y/N, I really like you. I have for awhile now. I know it's complicated because of our working relationship, you know boss and assistant, but, if you're up for it, I'm sure we can figure this out,” Rob told you, his words having obviously been ran through his head a hundred times over the past few hours.
At least the two of you were on the same page of the relationship being complicated. Only you brought more weight to the table, more secrets. But you really liked him too. You twined your fingers with his, using the comfort of his touch to help you speak. “I really like you too. Um …,” you trailed off, conflicting thoughts crashing and bashing. Out of the mental chaos, you did remember something Quinn had said to you. Keep it a secret. Would he even do that? “Maybe while we figure out what we have and how to handle it, we keep it between us? Just you and me,” you told him, accenting the last sentence. You knew you had already broke that rule because you told Quinn, but it wasn't like she was going to run out on the street and scream it for all to hear.
“I haven't told anyone. Not even Rich,” Rob murmured, making a surprised look appear on your face. “I mean, I'd like to eventually because he's my best friend, but I agree. We should just keep it on the down low and figure it out before we tell anyone,” Rob told you with an agreeing nod, understanding how scandalous that could be twisted and warped into.
That was it? That painless? You blinked a few times in surprise, unbelieving the fact that you hadn't had to bend yourself backward to dodge any accusations as to why you wanted to keep it a secret. You knew being Rob’s assistant was one thing, and it really didn't matter, but being Rob’s girlfriend and assistant did, and the media would capitalize on that. Rob Benedict is banging his assistant?! And anything along those lines was not good publicity. However, the word girlfriend made your face burn a hint, knowing the title hadn't been claimed officially yet, but it could be. “So, what now?” You asked, unsure of what actions to take. Did you talk about changing your job? Or maybe spending less time together in public?
“Think I've got an idea,” Rob murmured his reply, that dashing smile of his returning to his lips as he edged closer to you. The hand on yours drifted up your arm to caress your cheek, drawing your eyes up to his.
You immediately smiled back, feeling the distinct quickening of your heartbeat as you leaned up to meet him halfway, lips pressing to the other softly, patiently. You let your eyes flutter shut, leaning more into his gentle touch, one of your hands moving to rest on his knee. No words came close to describing the sensation of having his lips finally pressed to yours. There was a satisfaction you felt that was foreign, unknown. You had never been so happy. With that, you reached up to caress his face, fingertips sifting through the softness of his facial hair as your lips moved and pressed and tugged.
Rob placed a firm hand on your hip, body turning slightly as he moved forward, guiding you backward across the expanse of the mattress. His knees dipped into the bed’s surface on either side of your legs, movements slow but eager.
You found yourself near the headboard sooner than expected, your head and shoulders pressing deep into the pillows as he hovered above you. You moved your hands to his shoulders, not to push him away but to encourage him to come closer. However, you could feel a certain tension rising within you, and you knew where it was coming from. The last time you had been with someone had been with Parker, and it wasn’t an ideal experience. You knew Rob would never lay a hand on you if you didn’t want him to or try to do something you didn’t want to happen, but you were a bit out of practice when it came to any kind of intimacy. You delved your shaky hands against his shirt, grasping the fabric in tight handfuls to anchor yourself to something.
Rob felt the distinct trembling of your hands against his torso, his lips immediately parting from yours. “Hey, you okay?” He asked, blue eyes peering at you with worry.
“Yeah, I just … I’m not …,” you trailed off with a furious blush, your teeth sinking into your bottom lip shyly as you glanced away out of embarrassment.
“Talk to me, babe,” Rob encouraged you as he moved off to lay on his side beside you, head crooked on his palm as he beckoned for you to speak with a slow blink of his eyes. His free hand reached out to touch yours, caressing your knuckles in the warmth of his palm in a comforting touch.
“I haven’t been with anyone in awhile. I might be … rusty,” you murmured slowly, attempting to find the right words to explain.
A small smile tugged at the corner of Rob’s lips as he gazed at you, an understanding look crossing his face. “Listen, we’ll go at your pace. There’s no need to rush into anything, alright? Just please be honest with me. If I do something that makes you uncomfortable, just tell me and I’ll stop,” he told you, expression turning serious.
You felt the deepness of your heartbeat increase at his words, a smile automatically appearing on your lips. “Thanks, cuteness,” you quipped happily before pressing an adoring peck to his lips, coaxing that smile of his back to his face.
“Think our coffee is getting cold,” Rob chuckled as he crawled off of the bed, pulling you across its surface by your hand.
You followed him back to the table, your eyes immediately flickering to the alarm clock on his nightstand to check the time. “I’ve gotta get you backstage. We’ll drink it on the way,” you told him as you snatched up your cup and made your way to the door, leaving him to fumble and grab his things to tuck in his pockets. “Phone, room key, wallet?” You listed off as you waited for him by the door, checking yourself for those things.
“Check, check, and … check,” Rob replied, giving his room another look before reaching for the door handle.
“Wait,” you blurted out, reaching out to grab his hand to stop him from leaving the room. Once he turned to give you a questioning look, you lifted up on your toes, free hand grasping the back of his neck to pull his lips to yours.
Rob moved his arm to curl around your waist, pulling your body flush against his in one swift movement. “This whole keeping us a secret thing is going to be pretty hard if we can’t keep our hands off of each other,” he mumbled against your lips, words broken up by soft pecks and playful tugs.
“Just gotta get our fill before we go into public,” you smirked a little, fingertips teasing at the soft waves of his hair.
“Then we’d be here forever,” Rob replied, eye color darkening a hint as he met your gaze, forehead pressing to yours.
You felt the grip on your waist tighten a degree, and the thought to just drag him back to the bed crossed your mind, but both of you had a job to do. “Come on, boss,” you told him firmly before yanking open the door and leading him out into the hallway.
~*~
Keeping your hands off of Rob and vice-versa was proving to be highly difficult. And frustrating. You and Rob were around fans, volunteers, and his friends for the entire rest of the convention, and by the time night rolled around the two of you were too exhausted to spend anymore time with the other. Once Monday arrived, the two of you decided to take that day to recharge before having some fun for the rest of the week for your “mini-vacation.”
“What’s your mom like?”
You blinked a few times in surprise at Rob’s sudden question, your hand lowering your spoon back down into the small container of ice cream you clutched in your hands. You shifted a bit on the spot in his bed, your backs pressed to the headboard as the two of you faced the hotel television reeling off a film. Truth or Lie? Your mother was nowhere near a good role model for you. You hadn’t even said goodbye to her before you fled your home for California, and you were fairly sure she didn’t care enough to search for you. She was there, but then again she wasn’t. When your father died, she took to the bottle, probably to escape the family drama that had soon plagued you. You had never told anyone about your relationship with your mother, and you found yourself with bitter words poised on your tongue. Truth. “She wasn’t a good mother,” you told him, voice like a mutter full of disappointment.
Rob placed his half-eaten container on the nightstand before turning onto his side, a sympathetic look crossing his face. “The two of you weren’t close? Not even after your father passed?” He asked with gentleness, not wanting to pry, but he wanted you to feel like you could open up to him.
You swirled your spoon around in your container, pushing waves of ice cream around in circles mindlessly as you picked and chose your words carefully. “No, that only put more distance between us. She … just couldn’t handle it, I guess. Not without alcohol anyway,” you muttered, jaw setting itself tightly. You only wanted her acknowledgement growing up, only wanted a gentle hand on your shoulder or a smile, even if it was all fake. You just needed something from her growing up. You just needed somebody to tell you that it was all going to be okay, even if it wasn’t. You didn’t realize tears were coursing down your face until Rob was pressing you against his chest, soothing words floating near your ear, firm hands rubbing your back in comforting motions.
“It’s okay … it’s okay,” Rob whispered, a deep frown settling on his face as he held you, ice cream container left forgotten among the sheets. He felt you shudder uncontrollably, heavy sobs being pressed against his collarbone. “Y/N, breathe,” he told you, noticing your breathlessness between sobs. He moved his hands to caress the sides of your face, bringing your teary eyes up to his. “Breathe.”
You drew in a shaky breath, drowning in his blue eyes only to be saved by his voice, his touch. You grasped at his T-shirt, attaching yourself to something stable, something that was there. The deep expansions of his chest pressed against your shaky palms, encouraging you to follow suit, and soon you were breathing normally. You sniffled a few times, eyes casting themselves downward in shame at how easily you broke in half. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” you muttered, bringing your hands up to hastily rub at your reddened eyes.
Rob caught your hands, trapping them in the warmth and comfort of his grasp. “You’re just sad, Y/N. You bottle up these feelings until you burst,” Rob murmured, thumbs stroking lazy lines along your skin. “No more bottling, okay?”
He knew you so well, but then again he didn’t. “Okay, no more bottling,” you told him with a small nod, promising to tell him what you could, what ensured his security.
“Come here.”
You were back in his embrace in a second, hands brushing over his back and shoulders, fingers etching up into the dark waves of his hair. More comforting whispers drifted next to your ear, his lips pressing chaste touches to your jaw. You had been hired to help Rob with his mess of a life, but here you were completely shattered and leaving him to pick up the pieces. When did you let yourself fall apart? Maybe you had always been that way. “Rob? How did you manage? How did you deal with your own blood not … not even caring about you?” You whispered against his neck, feeling the intensity of an emotional connection between the two of you. You had both felt pain beyond physical, pain that resonated from what was held closest.
A hint of a frown tugged at his lips, eyes beginning to cloud as his own memories haunted the expanse of his mind. The tips of his fingers brushed against the ends of your hair, bringing him back to the present, to what was in front of him now. “I focused on who did care about me. There’s no point in letting yourself die inside for the sake of someone who … who doesn’t even care to acknowledge your presence,” Rob replied, a hint of bitterness in his voice, a handful of sorrow weighing down on his heart, a head full of regretful memories of the times he had let his father’s absence affect him.
Then perhaps you had made the right decision those few years ago? Was it right to drop everything and run? Out of panic and fear, you had ran right to California, right to Rob, so you must’ve made a right decision somewhere. “I’m alive with you,” you murmured to him, pulling back to face him, the both of you having adopted a position on your knees.
A smile broke out across Rob’s face, his eyes blinking rapidly to battle tears that reflected his past suffering. He placed his hands on your thighs, head bowing briefly as he composed himself, your words striking him to his very core.
You placed a hand on the back of his head, fingers stroking through the softness of his hair in a calming motion. “We’re supposed to be having fun and getting drunk,” you couldn’t help but laugh a little, eyes brimming with more tears at the sight of him so distraught from his past. It was like looking in a mirror.
A small bout of laughter broke from Rob in response, his head eventually lifting to smile at you, body less tense. “There definitely isn’t enough alcohol in this equation. We should fix that,” Rob commented, hands applying more pressure on your thighs as they glided back and forth.
You leaned forward a bit to bump your nose against his playfully, eliciting another series of laughter from the two of you, the sounds mingling with a certain level of harmony, of perfection. “There’s that dashing smile of yours.”
Rob playfully rolled his eyes, cheeks brightening with a lively blush as his forehead rested against yours. “There is an advantage to this whole keeping us a secret thing.”
“What’s that?” You questioned, eyes following his as he leaned to the side near your ear.
“I get you all to myself,” Rob murmured, voice low with just a dash of raspiness that made a distinct surge of heat roll through you.
“Think you can handle that?” The cocky comment leapt off your tongue before you could process it.
“Guess we’ll see.”
With a shared smile, you reached for the other, hands pushing into the other’s hair, lips gliding and pressing against the other as if the two of you had done it for years. In your defense, you had thought about doing this for some time now. You brushed your hand along his jaw, fingertips drifting across that dash of white in his scruff. Those little imperfections just made him so much more real to you, and you needed something real, something true. With a pleased sigh, you wound a hand around to the back of his neck, pulling him closer until space and distance were non-existent.
Rob heard a distinct buzzing sound behind him, breaking his attention. “Damn it,” he muttered, a hard peck being pressed to your lips before he moved away to snatch his phone off of the nightstand. “What’s up, Rich?” He replied, his eyes flashing to yours, sharing a look that would best be described as hungry. “No, I won’t be home for awhile. Y/N and I are staying in Chicago for Halloween.”
You smiled brightly at him as you climbed off of his bed, heading for your purse you had tossed on one of the armchairs near the window. You plucked a colorful brochure out of its depths and handed it to him, having found it in the hotel lobby.
Rob glanced over it as he listened to Rich speak about Kings of Con plans, a smile steadily edging onto his lips. He looked back up at you and nodded his head, mouthing the word “definitely.”
You tossed the brochure for a nearby haunted corn maze on his nightstand, feeling a twinge of excitement at his enthusiasm. You had never been to one, but it sounded like fun, especially since you and Rob had a habit of enjoying seeing who got scared first.
Rob resorted to laying down, nestling back into one of his pillows, his eyes rolling playfully as you gazed down at him. He made a talking motion with his hand, letting you know that Rich intended to keep blabbering.
You nodded your understanding, body shaking with silent laughter as you heard traces of Rich’s voice droning on over the phone. Kings of Con was a huge project for them, one that you had enjoyed watching them piece together. You were really proud of both of them for the effort they put into anything, whether that be on Supernatural, at the conventions, or at Comic-Con and for Kings of Con. They drove each other forward, and growing up you were so positive that friendships like that did not exist. You just believed that everyone used and abused the other until they got what they wanted.
Rob noticed the distant look on your face, the way your eyes seemed to haze as you sunk back into your thoughts. He extended an arm out, beckoning to you with his eyes and a small smile.
How could you resist that smile? You laid down beside him, nestling against his side with your head on his chest as his arm curled around you, holding you closely and firmly as Rich continued to speak. Your fingertips danced along the fabric of his grey T-shirt, riding the shallow expansions of his chest as he breathed. You couldn’t help but revel in the fact that he was yours. You had something, and he wasn’t part of some elaborate plan to sabotage an entire family, and he wasn’t bad. Of course he wasn’t perfect; he had a broken soul just like you, but he was good. Everything good in your life had been taken away, scared away, and you really didn’t want anyone to take Rob away. You’d die first, and if you were being honest, that would most likely happen.
chapter one, chapter two, chapter three, chapter four
pairing: tyler x fem!reader
word count: 1238
warnings: none
prompt: enemies to lovers high school au
-
“And just like that, we’re done!” Tyler says as he types in the last notes of your project onto the laptop.
“Hell yeah!” you say, high-fiving Tyler. Tyler smiles as he grabs your hand, lacing your fingers together. You blush and pull your hand away, tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear.
“Sorry,” Tyler says, blushing as well.
“It’s okay,” you whisper. “Now that our project is over, I don’t have an excuse to see you anymore…”
“Do you need an excuse to?” Tyler asks with slight hurt behind his tone and you notice this.
“I mean… No.” Tyler’s smile lands back on his lips.
“I did tell you we would hang out, just us, so I’m keeping my word.” you say truthfully. “And you told me you’d sing for me again.”
“I did say that,” Tyler chuckles softly. “My house? No ones home right now, so it’ll be just us if that’s okay.”
“Yeah,” you nod. “That sounds good.”
“I can sing to you and we can watch the sunset from my rooftop,” Tyler suggests with a shrug of his shoulders.
“Oh how romantic,” you say somewhat sarcastically.
“Only if you want it to be,” Tyler winks. You look down quickly, your blush deepening.
You and Tyler pack your things and get into his car where he drives off to his house. The car ride is mostly silent, but it’s not awkward as you were expecting it to be. Tyler is comfortable. You’ve come to this conclusion a few days ago and it’s one thing that’s been occupying your mind. You’re determined to figure out what it is about him that’s so comforting. Josh is comfortable too, but not like this.
When you and Tyler make it to his house, the two of you order pizza and watch an episode of Black Mirror. You’ve never hung out with Tyler by yourself outside of your project and it’s quite nice.
After you finish the pizza you head up to Tyler’s room where he opens the window and you climb onto the roof, waiting for the sunset.
“I’ll be right back,” Tyler says as he climbs back inside his room. After a few moments Tyler returns onto the rooftop wearing a pair of sunglasses and his ukulele in hand.
“You look ridiculous,” you giggle as Tyler sits down next to you.
“So this song, no one’s heard before. Not even Josh.” Tyler says and starts strumming the ukulele.
Tyler begins to sing. The words are sad and it’s when he starts to rap that you feel tears threaten your eyes.
Once again I step inside my shoes, a battle now for every single thing I do.
I don’t care because I don’t have a clue.
He raps a few more lines before words that you’ve read before comes out of his mouth.
Broken teeth and skin that’s I’m in, I can’t win.
I need you to break me up and break me down to the sound, so I can pray that someone hears me now.
Tyler screams the last part. He sings on, raps more, then sings again before he’s finally finished. At this point you’re crying hard, your cheeks flushed and tear stained.
“Oh, Tyler.” you sigh, taking the sun glasses off of him. “Does anyone know that you feel this way?”
“Just Josh,” Tyler says with a nod of his head. “And now you…”
“I should have known,” you sigh again.
“What do you mean?” Tyler asks, genuinely confused by your statement.
“I should have known you were struggling. I’ve been a bitch to you all these years and I never had a second thought about how you may be feeling. I should have known…” your voice shakes as you speak.
“How would have you known?” Tyler asks another question, grabbing your hand. You shrug your shoulders, wiping your tears away with your other hand.
“I just-“ you choke on your sobs. “I’m so, so sorry, Tyler.”
“Look, Y/N, I forgive you. I do, I really do.” Tyler squeezes your hand gently, you squeeze his hand back and rest your head on his shoulder. “Look at me,” Tyler says softly, turning your head and tilting your chin up. He pauses for a few seconds before he connects your lips slowly and gently.
You’re surprised at first and pull away, but once you see Tyler is still leaned in, you reconnect your lips, cupping the side of his face and deepen the kiss. The kiss is soft and innocent and lingers for a few seconds before Tyler pulls away with a smile. You can’t help but smile back.
“I’ve wanted to do that for so long,” Tyler admits in a whisper.
“Really?” you ask in disbelief. “Why?”
“Well,” Tyler chuckles. “If I’m being completely honest, I think you’re absolutely beautiful. I think you’re funny and witty and smart. I’ve just always liked you even though you’ve hated me for years.” you blush and look down as Tyler speaks, you never would have guessed Tyler actually likes you.
“Well, Ty, If I’m being honest,” you sigh, biting your lip as you think hard on your words. “I’m kind of falling for you too…” Tyler’s face lights up at that.
“You are?”
“Yeah,” your face burns another shade of bright red as you look Tyler deep in his dark eyes. Tyler’s smile widens and he kisses you again, you kissing back immediately. Tyler pulls away again.
“So, will you go to the winter formal with me?”
“Yes!” you nearly squeal, pulling Tyler into a hug. “Yes, yes, yes!” Tyler laughs and hugs you back.
“Good, I’m glad, because I thought you were going to reject me…”
“Maybe a week ago, but not now. Not anymore.” your words are truthful and meaningful. “I like you, Ty, I’m really falling for you.”
“Aww,” Tyler says playfully, causing you to giggle. “The sun will be going down soon, want to get a blanket and make some hot chocolate?”
“Sure,” you smile. You can’t help but smile - you can’t stop smiling.
Tyler climbs back into his room then down to the kitchen, making a hot chocolate for himself and you, grabs a blanket then is back onto the roof where you’ve been waiting. Tyler wraps the blanket around you both and hands you your drink.
“Thank you,” you say and take a sip of your drink.
You lean your head back on Tyler’s shoulder as the two of you watch the sunset. It’s pretty, the sky burning fire orange that fades out into pink and the clouds are painted purple. The two of you sit out there until the stars come out to play and your drinks turn cold. When the wind starts nipping your skin when you both decide to head inside for the night. Tyler gives you a sweatshirt and sweats to change into and you go to the bathroom, doing so before entering Tyler’s room again to see he’s changed as well. You crawl into bed with him, laying your head on his chest and listening to the beating of his heart.
“I’m sorry you’re hurting and I’m sorry I hurt you more when you’re still hurting,” your voice quivers, feeling yourself start to cry again.
“Shh,” Tyler hushes, rubbing your back softly. “Let’s not think about this right now.” you sniff and nod, keeping your head on Tyler’s chest and focus on his heartbeat until you fall asleep.
on the one hand this is a joke post because lol i have never made a good post in my life, but also, if i hadn’t made the connection between this update and my sudden nosedive in activity, i would have been really fucking discouraged about all the shit i’ve been working on lately. i guarantee there are people on tumblr right now who haven’t made that connection, and who are trying to figure out why suddenly no one likes anything they’ve made. and that fucking sucks.
Reminder to go into your settings and turn off ‘Best Stuff First’ because my activity’s tanked a couple days ago for no reason so this stuff IS happening.
To support content creators do us a favour and turn off “Best stuff first”. Open the tumblr app (Android or iOs) and go to “Settings > Dashboard Preferences. And please reblog this post, so that everybody will see this. Thank you very much!
We interrupt your regularly-scheduled sci-fi content because this is important for app users, and it sucks. We all follow blogs because we want to see their content, not to have a crappy algorithm decide what’s best.
This blog is down approximately 80%, which doesn’t affect me other than as an annoyance (as this is a hobby and @okayto is small-ish) but the issue undoubtedly hurts others.
Below are instructions for turning it off. You have to do it individually–it doesn’t matter if a blog you follow turns it off, you’ll still be affected unless you do the same.
We don’t normally reblog PSAs, but this is very clearly affecting us, too! If you haven’t been getting your daily dose of RPG humor, this setting is probably why. Turn it off so you can see all the silly shit players say!
I know I have turned this off in the past, but after seeing this post, I checked it, and lo and behold, it was turned on! Please go in your settings and see what you’re set at.
Square(s) Filled: Business AU for @spnfluffbingo2019, “The Customer is Always Right” for @as-the-saying-goes-bingo
Warnings: Fluff, Dean being uncomfortable while Chuck measures him for a suit, gay Chuck, implied bi-Dean, fluff
Summary: Chuck is a custom tailor and is making the suits for the groomsmen in cousin Castiel’s wedding. When two strapping men walk into his shop, he can’t help but hope he might make more than just a suit for one of them.
Pairing: Dean x Chuck
Word Count: 758
Written for: @spnfluffbingo2019, @as-the-saying-goes-bingo
Beta’d by: @amanda-teaches and @alleiradayne - thank you both. And you’re welcome.
A/N: I was talking to @alleiradayne the night THIS happened and just imagining Rob as a business man, which then turned into a joke with “Chuck Tailors…a suit for all your Supernatural needs” but since you know, AU and all. Also, contains a ship that I have never seen before, but thought, what the hell? I am fan of Bendackles so why not! I hope you like it!
Interested in Dean or Chuck’s scents? Buy them here from @scentsfromthebunker!
The bell above the door dinged, signaling a customer, hopefully. Chuck made his way from the backroom to the front. It had been slow going but this was his chance at a fresh start. A new business doing what he did best, designing and tailoring men’s clothing.
“Good morning! Welcome to Chuck Tailors!” he chirped peacefully at the two men that had entered his small storefront. “What can I design for you two?”
A/N: That writers block tho! Seriously, it’s good to be back.
TWO
The following morning, as you pulled open the front doors of a very large, very sterile-looking office building set into the heart of downtown, you were glad you’d agreed to only one movie. Black, strappy heels clicked against reflective slate tiles beneath your feet; portfolios held securely beneath one arm.
“Right this way, Ms. [Y/F/N].” “Can I get you anything to drink?”
The receptionist was a bright, young intern. Bold, coppery hair fell nearly to his shoulders, his striking blue eyes lit with an eager kind of excitement as he showed you to the conference room.
Series Summary: Reader moves to LA to pursue her dreams and finds a best friend in her new neighbor.
Chapter Warnings: Heart-break, Drinking
ONE
“I..I can’t do this anymore Rob."
The heavy sigh on the other end of the line was laced with exhaustion, but not the type that would be fixed with a restful night. This was the type of exhaustion that resulted from one too many missed dinners and far too little time spent actually being with each other.
Distracted as he was, the man stilled, ice pouring through his body, the chill of her words ran deep.
"Wh-what do you m-mean?” “Jenna?!”
Rob’s grip on his cellphone tightened, his fingers dappled in white, as if he could hold on to the woman he loved simply by force.
“You and me. We’re taking a little mini-vacation.”
You glanced up from sifting through the organized rows of clothes in your suitcase, a confused expression immediately appearing on your face at Rob’s comment. The two of you were midway through Friday at Chicon, and he was talking about going on a vacation in the midst of con season? “Wait, what?”
“After this con, we’ll go somewhere and have some fun. I think we deserve a break,” Rob explained, peering over at you from his relaxed position on your hotel bed, his back pressing into the comfortable depths of the white pillows stacked against the headboard.
“We have to go to a convention in Denver in-”
“Two weeks,” Rob answered for you, giving his arms a confident cross as he watched you pull out your outfit for tomorrow so that you'd be up and ready to go early.
“Between then you have-”
“Nothing,” Rob replied, an amused smile slowly etching across his lips as he received a berating look from you.
You abandoned your suitcase and grabbed your planner, a few of its pages torn and crumpled from you flipping through it so much to add in extra notes. You skimmed over the dates between Chicon and Denvercon to prove him wrong, but there were no markings during that time period.
Once Rob noticed that you had finally realized that he was free for that time, he moved to sit on the edge of the bed in front of where you were standing. “I had you arrange some of my things after Denvercon. I just felt that we should work a little less … play a little more,” he murmured, voice beginning to shake with laughter toward the end of his words.
You smirked at his suggestive comment, ignoring that little twinge of desire within you. In response, you gave his shoulder a playful push as you headed back toward your suitcase.
Rob caught your hand, pulling you to a stop as he gazed up at you. “Would you want to go on a trip with me? I mean, it’s nothing big. We can just stay in Chicago for Halloween or something,” Rob asked, a shy expression crossing his face.
You were happy he even considered asking you. Your life basically revolved around your job and Quinn, and you knew Quinn would side with you going to spend more personal time with Rob. Personal time with Rob. You really enjoyed digging your own grave lately. “Of course. It sounds like fun, and you do need to relax. You're all over the place non-stop,” you started to fret about him mindlessly, your free hand reaching over to caress his cheek as you observed the tired creases near his eyes.
Rob couldn't help but smile a little as you worried over him, and he merely let you. “Are you coming to the karaoke party tonight?” He asked, tugging at your hand until you eventually sat beside him.
“Pfft, with you, Rich, and Matt dressing up as zombies, I wouldn't miss it for the world,” you laughed softly, only able to imagine what the trio would look like once they were all dressed up and ready to go.
“I figured you'd get a kick out of that. You have to help me remove all of the makeup, though,” Rob chuckled, his hand still grasping yours lightly, fingers loosely twining with yours as the two of you sat side-by-side.
“Oh, yeah, can't have anything covering up that handsome face of yours,” you smirked, your eyes flashing to his.
“I know right? Then you'd really have nothing to stare at besides my ass,” Rob openly teased you, provoking a faint blush to dash across your cheeks.
“Okay, that incident happened weeks ago. Drop it,” you responded, looking at him pointedly, a playful glint appearing within your eyes.
“Never,” Rob chirped before dropping his eyes down to your twined hands, his gaze catching onto a small white mark etched into the inside of your wrist. He pulled your hand up closer for a better look, an intrigued look immediately crossing his face. “What's that from?” He asked, tapping at the scar with his forefinger.
Truth or Lie? You let your gaze settle on the mark, a memory threatening at your mind, one that you definitely weren't proud of. Someone else’s ring had scratched you. Deeply. Yeah, you were going to have to lie straight to that perfect face of his again. Lie. “I accidentally cut myself on a loose piece of metal. I was just a kid … wasn't paying attention,” you told him, the lie seeming to sear your throat, burn your tongue as you forced it out.
Rob smiled a little before lifting your hand to his lips, pressing a chaste kiss to the old scar.
You couldn't deny the flare of heat that went off within you at the sensation of his lips against you. You craved that touch so badly, but it was a forbidden touch, one that you desperately pleaded yourself to stay away from. Obviously, you weren't doing too well of a job. “Wanna go grab a bite? We have some time before you have to get ready.”
“Sure,” Rob murmured, the side of his mouth curling up in an agreeing half-smile. He squeezed your hand before standing and waiting for you to grab your things.
“See if the others want to come. I don't need any of you falling out on stage because someone forgot to eat because they were too busy goofing around,” you told him, automatically fretting about his friends. You were around them so much that you treated them like you treated Rob. Well, not exactly like you treated Rob.
“You got it, sweet stuff,” Rob commented, pulling his phone from the back pocket of his jeans to send off a few text messages.
You smirked a little at the natural name-calling, your eyes hovering on him as you waited, heartbeat still elevated above normal. You couldn’t resist reacting to being in the same space as him, to the sight of him, to the sound of his voice.
“What’s that look for?”
You blinked out of your daze to give him a questioning look, unaware of what he was talking about. “What?”
“I don’t know, you just gave me a certain look,” Rob replied with a shrug, a curious smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
You knew you were probably giving him major heart eyes, but you danced around that fact, fighting off a bashful blush. “Yeah, one of impatience,” you giggled, reaching forward to playfully untuck the front of his button-down.
“Oh, no!” Rob gasped out, swatting at your hand in retaliation. At your responding laugh, he faked a pout and worked his belt open, immediately bringing your sounds of amusement to a sharp halt. Rob re-adjusted his shirt carefully, his fingertips dipping slightly beneath the waist of his pants to tuck the front of his shirt in, his eyes flickering upward to catch yours. “There's that look again!” He chuckled as he fixed his belt, eyes resting evenly on yours as his hands pulled the end of the leather through the buckle. “I think you just like what you see,” Rob teased, flashing you a wink that made heat burn at your cheeks.
“You're funny. Now, chop-chop. We should've left five minutes ago,” you covered up your bashfulness by bossing him around, giving him a light push toward the door to get him moving.
“Well, someone had to start undressing me-”
“Get moving.”
~*~
“It's beautiful out here.”
“You’re-”
Based on you and Rob’s impressive track record for “harmlessly flirting” with one another, you already knew Rob’s responding comment. You cut him off with a playful punch to his shoulder, making him stumble a bit to the side from the force. You hadn’t meant to hit him so hard, but the strength, the power you had learned how to pack into a punch hadn’t left you. An apology immediately flew to your lips, but all you received was laughter from Rob and the others that had joined the two of you for lunch on the Navy Pier.
“Damn, Robbie, what did you say?” Rich piped up from behind you, a look of curiosity crossing his face at what caused your reaction.
Rob shared a small, knowing smile with you before turning his head to spout off some loose lie.
You breathed out slowly, letting yourself relax as you walked along the pier, eyes gazing out at the slow, rippling water. It really was a beautiful sight, a beautiful moment, one where you felt … included, right where you were supposed to be. You had always felt out of place back where you used to live, but here … with Rob, you felt at home. As the band, Rich, and Matt chattered about the karaoke party, you crossed over to the railing, perching your forearms against the metal as you leaned forward a bit, letting your eyes wander, your mind rest.
“You didn’t let me finish.”
You heard Rob’s comment from behind you, immediately provoking a shy smile from you as you turned to face him, pressing your back against the rail. “I knew what you were going to say,” you pointed out, giving your arms a cross, posture and expression light and playful.
“Not everything I was going to say,” Rob murmured, hands tucked in his pockets in a nearly bashful manner, mirroring your shyness, your anticipant nervousness to further prod at each other’s thoughts and feelings about the other.
You could feel your heart threatening to hammer out of your chest, its sound deafening, its sensation startling. “What else is there to say?” You replied, voice hushed not weak.
Those rippling blue eyes of his moved to properly rest on yours, no emotional boundaries present for once. There was just you and him, no twisted past, no anxious thoughts or worries clouding the space between the two of you. A hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as his lips parted to speak, but another voice broke through.
“Now, that is a damn good picture,” Rich commented from behind Rob, his phone already out and ready to capture the moment.
“Hey, Robbie, scoot closer to Y/N and turn around,” Matt added in as he peered over Rich’s shoulder at his phone screen, noticing that Rob was nearly blocking you from the camera’s view.
Strangely, you felt the desire to toss the both of them over the railing for interrupting Rob. After re-grounding yourself to your unfortunate reality, you stepped to the side to allow Rob to stand beside you, his arm naturally going around your shoulders to pull you close to his side. You put an arm around his back, hand clutching his side as the two of you flashed smiles at Rich’s camera, knowing better than to argue with him. “Don’t post that anywhere,” you warned him once Rich gave you a thumbs-up.
“You’re no fun,” Rich muttered, but he pocketed his phone and joined your side to gaze out at Lake Michigan.
“Enjoy the view for ten more minutes. We have to head back soon,” you told the group once you checked the time on your phone. You didn’t want to leave, but, then again, you couldn’t help but feel a bit excited about Rob, Rich, and Matt getting zombified. So, for ten minutes you stood at Rob’s side, barriers down with an infinite amount of words to say.
~*~
“You guys look creepy!”
“Aw, am I scaring you, Y/N?” Rob cooed in response to your shocked giggle, slowly edging toward you, face plastered with special effects makeup.
You backed away at the same pace, knowing you would soon be cornered in the green room. “Don’t you do it,” you warned him, suspecting that he was going to make a grab for you.
A smile broke out across Rob’s face, fake blood sticking in the midst of his facial hair. “Do what?” He feigned confusion, but a devilish glint appeared within the blue of his eyes, beyond the dark circles that were applied beneath the curves of them.
You shot him a playful glare before glancing behind you to see a small circular table coming up, your fingers immediately splaying out to prepare to launch yourself over it onto the other side. You met Rob’s eyes again, challenging him to make a move.
Rob’s eyes suddenly moved right past you, a small laugh shaking in his chest in reaction to something behind you.
You narrowed your eyes in confusion before spinning around to come face-to-face with Rich, the shock of him so close making you gasp, your reflexes immediately making you dart the opposite way. You crashed into Rob’s chest, feeling his hands grab at you as you knocked him off balance.
Luckily, Rob’s balance kicked back in a moment later, his body twisting to maneuver you toward a nearby table covered with snack food for the guests. Once you were pressed back against the table’s surface, he placed his palms down on either side of you, attempting to grasp his footing before he toppled onto you. “Wow, you good?” Rob chuckled, feeling you clutch his shirt in tight handfuls.
You were situated awkwardly, half-lying across the table top with one foot planted on the floor, his body hovering above yours. You could hear Rich nearly dying with laughter in the background, coaxing a glare onto your face. “The two of you aren’t going to be when I get done with you,” you threatened, eliciting another bout of laughter from the two of them.
Matt poked his head into the room, thin-framed glasses perching on his nose. “Guys, you coming? They’re waiting.”
“Yeah, let’s grab a picture real quick before we go on,” Rich chirped as he followed Matt out of the room, the pre-party adrenaline beginning to course through him.
“See you afterwards?” Rob asked, hips heavy against yours as the two of you remained in the position, finding no real will to move.
“You got it,” you replied with a confirming nod, eyes locking onto his, holding his gaze despite the intensity, the unresolved tension, the pure desire. You shared a smile with him before taking the hand he offered and allowing him to help you onto both of your feet. “Go give them the time of their lives,” you told him, understanding the excitement and joy people felt when going to the conventions.
“I will. Your turn is due soon, though,” Rob chuckled, pulling you forward by the hand to embrace you firmly, cheek pressing against the side of your head in an affectionate motion.
Your smile brightened even more at his words, knowing he cared so deeply about ensuring that you were comfortable with him, that you were happy with him, and you could honestly say that you were. “Since day one, cuteness.”
Rob merely hugged you tighter, forcing himself to break away and join Rich and Matt in the hallway. It just wasn’t the right time. “Cheer extra loud for me,” he commented as he headed toward the door, turning to wink at you over his shoulder.
“It’s impossible for me not to scream for you, Rob Benedict,” you murmured, the suggestive comment flying off of your lips before you could properly think about it.
Rob halted at the doorway, that coquettish smile of his breaking out across his lips, the daring glint in his crashing blue eyes returning as he turned to look at you again. “Good girl,” he replied, grating voice striking you to your very core. He laughed softly before forcing himself to exit, mouth craving to speak more words, hands aching to reach out for you, to touch you again.
Once he was gone, you let out the breath you had been holding in and sank down into a chair, a deep blush immediately dashing across your cheeks. “Holy shit,” you breathed out, hardly believing that conversation just happened. You couldn’t deny the tension between you and Rob, the affectionate and the evident sexual tension as well. You figured that would happen. You only spent most of your waking minutes with him, bossing each other around with playfulness but also with an underlying sense of authority, especially from him. “Don’t you sleep with him. Don’t you do it,” you lectured yourself sternly, knowing that would really anchor the two of you to each other. But he was so freaking hot. “I am not going to sleep with my boss,” you told yourself once more before standing and heading to the karaoke party, the deep thump of the nearby music not nearly as fast, as hard as your own heartbeat.
~*~
The intensity and energy of that Friday night didn’t dare stop once the karaoke party was over. Rob, Rich, and Matt all panned out with different members of the group to have their makeup removed, Rob still opting to have you help clean him up.
“Come grab a drink with us,” Rich invited the two of you, his energy still not yet spent.
“Tomorrow. I’m just gonna head to bed,” Rob replied, an exhausted laugh rumbling from him. All the jumping and running he did while performing always spent him, and you were always sure to get him to go to bed as early as you possibly could, especially on Friday nights.
“Your bed?” Rich smirked a little, eyes flashing from Rob to you, a suggestive smile crossing his lips. He hadn’t missed the immense amount of flirting going on between the two of you lately.
“Yes, my bed, Rich,” Rob answered with a pointed look, giving his best friend a shove before ushering you back to his room before Rich could make another comment. Once he was inside the comfort of his hotel room, he let out an exhausted sigh, shedding his loose button-down to leave himself in just a blue T-shirt. “Like the show?” He asked as he led you into the bathroom, not wanting to risk getting any of the latex or fake blood on the bed.
“Of course. Lots of energy tonight,” you replied casually, watching him hop up on the bathroom counter, the bright lights illuminating the space. You placed the makeup removal wipes you had swiped from your room on the counter before jumping up beside Rob, turning your body to where you faced him, legs crossing in front of you.
“Be gentle,” Rob joked, a playful smile tugging at his lips as you began pulling at the latex coating his face.
You really would be better off without a mouth. “Didn’t peg you as the gentle type,” you commented in a casual manner, eyes honing in on the skin at the edges of your fingertips as you pulled and peeled.
Rob cocked an eyebrow in response, intrigued at the fact that you took the conversation down that path so quickly, so naturally. “You’d be surprised,” he murmured, palm absentmindedly rubbing at his thigh slowly as you leaned in close to remove pieces of latex from his facial hair.
You had Rob down as one of those quiet confident types from the start, but the appeal of that sort of personality was really starting to hit you. The thoughts that lurked beyond those eyes, the unspoken words that rested just beyond those lips, the touches that weren’t yet expressed by those hands really just made you want to experience them even more. Maybe you were so drawn to that personality because it mirrored your own. It still struck you as crazy how well the two of you just fit together, complemented the other without even having to try. You were the best you with him. “In a good way?”
“Absolutely.”
You cracked a smile at his response, turning away briefly to grab one of your makeup wipes to finish up the job. “I like good surprises,” you told him as you faced him again, lifting your hand to clean off the remaining smudges of fake blood. You hadn’t experienced many good surprises in your life, and you were fairly sure Rob could make up for that.
“I’ll remember that,” Rob replied, your bright smile encouraging his own. He watched your eyes flicker around, noting the clashing tension and comfort. He felt it too.
“All done,” you murmured after looking him over, ensuring his face was makeup free. You drifted your hand along his forehead, pushing the dark waves back from his face in an adoring motion. Say something. Don’t say anything. So many opposing thoughts were spiraling within your mind, drawing that brooding anxiety out of its hiding place. You had to think more, had to reground yourself. “You should sleep. Big day tomorrow. I’ll see you in the morning,” you rambled off the excuse as you hopped off of the counter, having to rip your hands away from him. You gathered your things, mentally fighting yourself. You were so sick and tired of fighting yourself on everything, even the things that made you genuinely happy.
Rob watched you prepare to leave with a slight frown, words desperately wanting to be said, to be heard. “Alright, we can grab coffee,” was the only thing he could get out as he followed you out of his hotel room and into the hallway.
Your room was across from his. All you had to do was walk inside and shut the door, shut him out again. You breathed out slowly, trying to keep your cool, knowing you were acting strange. “Definitely!” You chirped, voice sickening sweet and fake. You definitely wanted to kiss him, definitely wanted to do more than just have coffee with him, but you desperately kept your foot fastened to the brake, preventing yourself from moving forward even an inch. You stopped walking and turned to give him the usual goodnight embrace, your arms tightening around him a degree harder, more desperation, more need in your touch.
Rob hugged you back just as tight, his heart feeling as if it was about to slam its way out of his chest. He buried his face in the crook of your neck, lips against your skin, bringing about that addictive feeling of touch the two of you shared with the other.
You couldn’t help but nuzzle your head against his, falling into the comfort of his embrace, the warmth of his touch. You could feel that pull toward his lips, threatening to throttle yourself into the unknown, but getting lost with him didn’t seem so bad. Unless you were found. Unless you were uncovered, hunted down, taken down. A shaky breath left you at the thought, your hands ripping themselves away from him as you forced yourself to step away, your body turning to head into your room, to leave him out in the hallway with a crushing frown on his face.
There was too much to say, too much to express in words at that moment. Rob knew that, knew there would never be a perfect time, a perfect opportunity, but he didn’t need perfection; he needed a chance. Before you could reach for your door, he grabbed your hand, immediately pulling you back toward him until your chest collided with his. He hadn’t meant to pull you so hard, the desperation upping his strength, his determination in that moment. It was too late to turn back anyway, so he seized that chance. He brought a hand up to caress your cheek, thumb grazing your jaw as his eyes moved to yours, a certain look being shared. Don’t hold back. And he didn’t. He captured your lips with enough intensity, with enough passion to steal the breath from you. The hand on your cheek delved into your hair, fingers twining with the soft strands as his other hand wrapped around your waist, keeping you close and refusing to let go.
Unable to hold back anymore, you threw your arms around his neck, pushing your hands up into his dark waves, lips pressing and moving against his without resistance, without tension. There was only heat and friction and pressure, and you couldn’t care less that you were locking lips with your boss in the middle of a hotel hallway where a bunch of his fans were probably staying.
Rob’s lips uncontrollably curled up in a deep smile, not daring to part from yours for more than a second. “Surprise,” he whispered, immediately receiving a breathless laugh and a heated peck to his lips in response.
Your fingers curled lightly around the softness of his hair, stroking and tugging gently as he teasingly dragged his teeth along your bottom lip. There were so many thoughts and sensations crashing one after the other, too many to properly keep up with. You needed to think, had to figure something out now that you had slammed your foot against the throttle. You could still slow down. “We should probably talk,” you murmured against his lips, your body refusing to part from his just yet.
Rob nodded in response, knowing that was the best thing to do. The two of you did have a bit of a complicated relationship. “Tomorrow?” He asked before capturing your lips again, eliciting a pleased hum from you at the fiery sensation.
You nodded quickly, one hand dropping to his shoulder and then to his chest. You could feel a distinct, quick thud beneath your fingertips, drawing a smile onto your lips. “Your heart is racing,” you commented, eyes flickering open to meet his as he rested his forehead against yours.
Rob laughed softly, his own hand rising to place itself below the middle of your collarbones, feeling a similar, deep beating. “So is yours,” he responded as leaned into your touch.
You didn’t want to part from him, but you also didn’t want to get caught tangled up with him in the middle of the hotel hallway. “Goodnight,” you told him, hands moving to his firm shoulders, the desire to touch not faltering a bit. The two of you shared a look that clearly stated that you wouldn’t mind breaking in one of the hotel beds right then, but you both knew that you didn’t want to rush into anything blindly.
“Goodnight,” Rob murmured, voice soft with just a hint of raspiness that threatened to send shivers down your spine. He pressed one last deep kiss to your lips, the action so full of want that it nearly made your head spin, and then stepped away, a cheeky smile plastered on his face.
You couldn’t help but mirror the expression as you made your way to your door and then into the room, shutting the door behind you slowly and with reluctance. Your lips buzzed from the sensation of his touch, the joy you felt blasting away any dark memory that threatened to invade your mind, to ruin one of the best moments of your life. This first kiss with Rob really overtook any of your past ones: the shy peck you shared with Chester on a park bench, the greedy, tongue-shoved-down-your-throat kiss you endured with Parker when you were forced to “tutor” him.
You shook the haunting thought away, coaxing away the memory of how dirty, how sick you had felt when Parker even so much as laid a finger on you. But that was then, and this was now. You had kissed Rob Benedict, your boss, and you don’t remember ever being happier. You collapsed on your bed, hand immediately reaching for your phone to gush to Quinn. You had never thought the feeling of finally crashing would feel so pleasing.
You pinched the bridge of your nose as Quinn kept encouraging you to do the one thing you told yourself not to do. “No, because that’ll most likely lead to a relationship.”
“Ohh, you want a relationship with him! You don’t want to just punch your ticket once. You want a season pass,” Quinn smirked, giving your shoulder a playful nudge as the two of you sat on the polyester couch in her living room.
You sighed loudly and buried your face in your hands, feeling lost on what to do. “Maybe I should just quit my job and leave the country.”
“Maybe you should just kiss him and see where it goes. I mean, what are you really afraid of?”
Getting you and Rob killed. “It’s just a lot of exposure, you know? I’m just not sure I’ll handle that well,” you replied, drawing your face out of your hands to meet your friend’s gaze.
I spent the last two days reading this series and I absolutely love it! I love how you have held onto Rob’s personality and not written him ooc! It’s so rare these days! This is full of emotion and heartache and promise!!!
There are things in life that you never think you’d do. Things that you see others do that make you scoff or condemn them in your mind.
Cheating on Dean Winchester was one of them.
It was wrong. You knew that. You could make excuse after excuse, but it would still be wrong.
Problem was: Dean left you little choice but to be untrue.
Masterlist
The whiskey bottle went so close past your head that you could feel the whoosh of air as it flew by. It shattered against the wall behind you, splattering you with the amber liquid inside.
Deep down, you knew Dean would never actually physically hurt you. At least, you had convinced yourself of that.
But the things he did were starting to scare you.
It’s the Mark, you told yourself. It seemed like those words were on repeat in your head lately. It’s the Mark. The Mark, the Mark, the Mark.
A/N: Unbeted. All mistakes are my own. This was inspired by a piece fanart by @threshasketch that I can't link rn cos I'm posting this from my phone.
--
Dean uses the storage shelf to pull himself up off the floor, his joints protesting the action.
"Getting too old for this," he grumbles. "Gonna grab some coffee. You want anything?"
Cas, seated cross-legged with piles of Men of Letters storage boxes around him, shakes his head. "I'm fine, thank you."
Dean makes his way to the kitchen. He finds Sam there, waiting patiently for the coffee maker with the biggest mug they own in hand.
"How goes the library?" Dean asks, opening the cupboard and grabbing a mug for himself.
His knuckles bump against another mug, Cas's yellow and black striped bumblebee mug. It hasn't been used since Cas got his grace back and there's dust on the handle. Dean gets it down as well, deciding to give it a little wash.
"I don't know how things got so out of order," Sam is saying. "The system is very clear."
"To you," Dean points out, rinsing the mug in the sink and scrubbing at the tough spots with a little dish soap. "Not everyone was a librarian in a previous life."
Sam rolls his eyes as the coffee machine finishes doing its thing. He snatches the pot up and begins fixing his mug of coffee. "How hard is it for people to just put things back where they found them?"
Dean shrugs, setting the mug on the rack to drip dry. The rack is empty of dishes, all the alternate universe hunters off fighting monsters somewhere. Even Mary and Jack are out for the day. Dean's enjoying the quiet. The bunker feels almost the way it did when they first moved in, when it was just him and Sam and sometimes Cas.
"Dean?"
Speak of the devil.
Dean glances over his shoulder to see Castiel standing at the top of the kitchen steps, a worried expression on his face. "Hey, Cas. What's up?"
Cas staggers down the steps, almost falling, and Dean's instincts kick in. He drops his mug, faintly aware of it shattering on the floor, and rushes to catch Cas before his hits the ground.
Except, Cas is gone.
Dean has an armful of Cas's clothes but no Cas. His heart leaps into his throat.
"Where did he go?" Sam appears at Dean's side as he drops the clothes. They crumple to the ground.
Dean shakes his head, unable to find words.
"Oh my god," Sam gasps, crouching beside the pile.
Something is moving.
Dean crouches as well just as a fold of cloth moves to the side and suddenly there's Cas. Very confused and very naked and very very small.
---
If Dean's going to be honest with himself, Tiny Cas is pretty cute.
The miniature angel is in his bumblebee mug, it being the first thing Dean grabbed for him to sit in and stay covered. Castiel's little black wings - apparently manifested because his grace cannot be fully contained in such a small form - flutter a little, stretching. Dean estimates they would be a good 20 feet across if Cas weren't currently 8 inches tall.
Dean's still a little freaked out by that.
"How're you feeling?" he asks, folding his arms on the tabletop and resting his chin on them to put his eyes more at Cas's level.
Blue eyes turn to him. Cas’s cheeks a little pink and have been since he first realized he was naked. "The same as I was five minutes ago. Very small and slightly disoriented but otherwise fine."
Dean can't help a chuckle. "Fair enough." He checks his phone and sees that Sam's texted him. "Sam's on his way home. He's got some clothes that should fit you. Then we can get to work figuring out a way to reverse this. We should probably give Rowena a call."
Cas leans over the side of the mug, reaching out to rest one tiny hand on top of Dean's closest one. "Thank you, Dean."
"Don't mention it," Dean replies with a shake of his head. Then he smirks. "Glad we kept that bee mug around even though you don't drink coffee anymore. It's a cute look on you."
Cas shoots him a death glare. Dean just laughs.
--
Team Forever: @mrswhozeewhatsis @manawhaat @laughing-at-the-darkness @tumbler-tidbits @books-and-icecream @imsuperawkward
not to bring this up for the billionth time but nothing seems to have changed so here we are again! let’s go.
it really is so sad that nobody interacts with fic writers anymore. i don’t think any non-writer really has a clue as to just how much effort and time goes into writing, whether it be a 500-word drabble or a 60k fic. the readership on tumblr has become very passive lately; people will absorb a piece and then click out of it like nothing ever happened. i get several messages a week asking me if i’ve read xyz fanfic, and while i don’t mind helping people track down a fic, i just have to say: you wouldn’t have lost/forgotten it if you’d reblogged it, babe!
and the worst part of it all is that, as a writer, you’re constantly asked when you’re going to post something new, but as soon as you do, all you get back is just. radio silence. so, really, why do we bother with writing anymore? we write to share, we write to evoke emotions, we write because we want people to engage and interact with us about what we’ve created.
support fic writers. reblog their work if you enjoyed reading it. getting likes on a piece is nice, but they do nothing to help spread the fic and help it reach a wider audience. and for the love of god, leave feedback! send a quick message to the writers you love and tell them that you enjoyed their piece! you can go into as little or as much detail as you like, it really doesn’t matter. just please, try to give back because we work so hard and put so much effort into our writing, and to receive absolutely nothing in return is the most discouraging thing in the world.
here we go ... @fairlyanathematic - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
