#part nine

[ghostofwriting]

riding the edge (smau): nine

R.C x Reader

Synopsis: Rafe Cameron is a "bad boy" motorcycle creator known for his thrilling rides and shameless thirst traps, which attract a massive following. Y/N is a thoughtful and passionate Bookstagram influencer who thrives on sharing deep literary insights and reviewing the top trending books.

part ten

[sakura-hare]

If you hunger, hunger for me

Chapter 9: easy escape.

As the two of you both panted, Crocodiles shoulders had dropped like he could finally relax. He allowed himself to lay down next to you, sweat made some baby hairs stick to his forehead like magnets. You caressed his face. Crocodile let out a deep sigh before leaning into your touch, if it were anyone else doing this to him he’d probably use his hook to gut them clean but it was you, the only one he trusted. Your wings fluttered as you covered him with one long feathered wing as a blanket.

Crocodile didn’t sleep just yet, he waited for you to sleep for so he would be able to protect you. The mattress felt so soft beneath you, like you were trying to sleep on a soft cloud with a handsome devil laying beside you. He let out another deep sigh letting himself sink into the soft material with you. Your hand found his jaw, rubbing small circles along the bone to soothe him into his own slumber. Crocodile pulled you closer to him, he was careful of his hands touching your wings. Everything felt like it was going to be alright and you felt safe in his arms, you could tell he also felt safe for once in his life. Honestly you kinda thought of this as a competition, who would break and fall asleep first. You didn’t want to stress him out by staying awake but couldn’t help to make sure he slept.

But even though you fought how tired you were you were brought into slumber, Crocodile had won yet again. Hours had passed and you slept on his chest, both bare. His strong arms held you like he was going to lose you. Sure you had fallen asleep first but you also woke up first, the warmth between the two of you caused you to sweat awake. Using your arms to push yourself up against his large chest and straddle his waist. You yawned gently as he was still sound asleep.

Deciding to make breakfast for the both of you was a lot more easy than actually getting out of the bed, somehow you had to sneak away from one of the most alert men ever. You swung your legs off the bed and hit the ground gently. You walked to the door but yet again you were stopped, it took approximately 2 seconds that crocodile noticed you were missing. He patted the mattress where you were supposed to be before he opened his eyes.

“Where are you going. Come back to bed.” He wasn’t asking, he was telling you. A command by your superior.

“Relax Croccy, I’m just making breakfast” you teased him with that name Buggy (MY one true love) made for him. He rolled his eyes and let out a gruff chuckle before sitting up on the bed, the blanket just barely covering where his happy trail lead down. God he looked so fucking hot, if you didn’t already plan out breakfast in your head you’d probably had crocodile sausage for breakfast.

“Okay slow down there sweet pea.” He stood up letting the blanket fall off his body fully nude before you. He stretched out before coming up to hug you from behind, he was strong, strong enough to crush you with just his arms and he intended to do that.

“Don’t think you can escape this easily…” he whispered in your ear as you both rock.

“Oh yeah? You better come and catch me then~ get dressed first though!” You scolded playfully, he tighten his grip he pushed his face into the crook of your neck, taking a deep breath breath of your scent that was lingered with his own from him ruining you the other day. He exhaled before kissing you up your neck.

“Are you bossing me around? I thought I made the rules around here.” His tone had no real malicious intent behind it but it was even to scare the shit out of Buggy if crocodile spoke to him like that.

Thank you for reading another chapter! I hoped you enjoyed this! For today’s snack I had some sour cream and onion chips, peanut m&m’s and vitamin water.

[hirsutespacemen]

Hirsute Space Truckers, Part Nine.

The cargo hold was a marvel of pragmatic hoarding. As Will climbed down the ladder, his boots ringing on the reinforced deck plates, he found himself surrounded by a literal history of the Federation. The tie-downs were a mix of heavy-duty physical webbing and shimmering, low-level force fields, but it was the labels that caught his eye. A magnetic stabilizer bore the stencil of the USS Rhode Island; a secondary power cell was clearly marked Property of DS9 Maintenance Level 4.

"You really are a packrat, O'Brien," Will chuckled to the empty hold, his hand trailing over a thermal regulator stripped from a Miranda-class cruiser. It wasn't just junk; it was a curated collection of things that worked. Miles had built a ship out of the parts the admiralty had forgotten, and in the deep black of 2410, that kind of resourcefulness was worth more than gold-pressed latinum.

Satisfied that the atmospheric processors hadn't shifted an inch during that violent warp-snap, Will climbed the short stairway back to the quarters. He moved with a quiet, deliberate grace, heading for the galley where he’d stashed his haul from the San Diego markets. He unpacked the mesh bags with practiced efficiency. There was the high-end Kona coffee he’d bartered for, the sharp terrine and crusty sourdough for a late-night meal, and the snacks he knew an engineer would need during a long shift.

But tucked at the very bottom of the third bag, hidden beneath a bundle of fresh kale, were the items from his private excursion: a discreet vial of poppers and a high-viscosity, medical-grade lubricant.

Will leaned against the galley counter, the hum of the warp core vibrating through his heels and up his thick, hairy legs. He knew the writing was on the wall. The air in the cockpit had been thick with more than just ozone and Szechuan spices. He felt the pull, the raw, magnetic attraction to the sturdy Irishman in the next seat. He wanted to know the weight of Miles in his hands, the taste of him, the feel of that "Irish Monster" stretching him open in the dark quiet of the Archanis run.

He was a professional; he could keep his hand on the throttle and his eyes on the sensors. But the "no secrets" pact was a dangerous game to play with a man like O'Brien. Will was ready if the heat became a fire, but he was also a realist. If the tension between them became too much of a structural risk for the mission, he knew there were ports along the Archanis border, vibrant, lawless places where lovely men and women of a dozen species would be more than happy to help a former Admiral work off his still-vigorous amorous needs.

He heard Miles’s boots clomping toward the galley, the Irishman likely looking for that second cup of tea. Will quickly stashed the private supplies at the back of a high cupboard, his heart giving a small, rebellious thud against his ribs.

"Everything's tight below, Captain," Will called out, his voice a smooth, effortless baritone as Miles rounded the corner. "Though I think I saw a piece of the Enterprise-D holding up your primary coolant line."

---

Miles leaned against the galley bulkhead, his broad shoulders nearly spanning the width of the narrow passage. That sheepish, gap-toothed grin, the one that had charmed everyone from Keiko to Benjamin Sisko, spread across his face.

"You caught me," Miles admitted, his Irish lilt warming with the memory. "My ensign on the station—well, he’s Captain Nog now—he’s the one who taught me the value of being 'logistically creative' with necessary items. I never thought a Ferengi would be the one to impart such wisdom on a Starfleet engineer, but the lad's a marvel. He can see a pile of scrap and tell you exactly which bolt will save your life three years down the line."

Will smiled, the mention of Nog bringing back a flash of the old days, of a galaxy that felt a little more interconnected. He remembered the young Ferengi’s fierce determination, the way he’d fought to prove he belonged in a uniform that hadn't been designed for his people.

"I've met Captain Nog a time or two," Will said, his voice a deep, appreciative rumble as he moved a bag of coffee to the counter. "He has a real knack for making pieces fall into the right places, whether it’s a diplomatic treaty or a salvaged warp coil. It’s good to know some of that Ferengi business sense rubbed off on you, Miles. It makes me feel a lot better about our chances if the EPS manifold decides to give up the ghost halfway to Archanis."

Miles chuckled, his gaze drifting to the mesh bags Will was unpacking. He didn't see the private supplies tucked away in the shadows of the high cupboard, but he saw the fresh sourdough and the terrine. His stomach gave an appreciative growl that echoed in the small space.

"Well, the Captain’s first order of business is usually a full belly," Miles said, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he looked at Will. "And since you went to the trouble of hauling all this up those steps in San Diego, I think the least I can do is help you prep the first meal of the voyage."

He stepped into the tiny galley, his sturdy, hairy arm brushing against Will’s as he reached for a knife. The proximity was electric, the smell of the tea, the fresh bread, and the raw, masculine heat of the man beside him swirling together in the recycled air of the Pulaski.

"You cut the bread," Miles murmured, his voice dropping an octave. "And I’ll see if I can’t find a bottle of something that doesn't taste like industrial lubricant to wash it down."

---

Miles reached for a heavy, serrated blade from a magnetic strip on the bulkhead, his sturdy forearm brushing against Will’s as he moved. The galley was so narrow that every motion required a coordinated dance, a hip check here, a shoulder lean there.

"The bread," Miles prompted, his lilt dropping into a low, comfortable hum. "And don't be shy with the thickness. I've no use for those paper-thin Starfleet rations tonight."

Will laughed, a deep chest-rumble that seemed to fill the tiny room. He took the sourdough and began to slice, the crust crackling under the blade. "Thick it is, Captain. I think we’ve both had enough replicated nutrition to last a lifetime. There’s something about the smell of real yeast that makes the vacuum outside feel a little less cold."

As they worked, the Pulaski gave a gentle, rhythmic shudder, not a malfunction, but the steady heartbeat of the warp core Miles had tuned by hand. The intimacy of the space was undeniable; every time Will reached for a plate or Miles turned to the cupboard, they were pressed together, chest to back or shoulder to shoulder.

Miles felt the heat radiating off Will’s large, hairy frame, the scent of the man—salt, musk, and expensive coffee—overwhelming the sterile smell of the recycled air. He looked at the way Will’s blue jumpsuit strained against his back as he leaned over the counter, and the steel resolve he’d promised himself earlier felt like it was melting under a blowtorch.

"You know, Will," Miles said softly, his voice barely audible over the hum of the ship. "I didn't think I'd ever feel this settled again. Just a ship, a cargo, and a man I can trust at the helm."

Will paused, the knife resting against the board. He turned his head, his blue eyes catching the amber galley lights as he looked at Miles. The "no secrets" pact was written in the very air between them.

"I know exactly what you mean, Miles," Will murmured. He didn't move away. In fact, he leaned just a fraction of an inch closer. "It’s been a long time since I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be."

---

Miles pulled the thick, industrial PADD from the leather holster on his hip. The device was encased in a ruggedized, oil-stained frame, with USS PULASKI etched deeply into the casing. He swiped a calloused thumb across the screen, his eyes darting through the scrolling lines of amber Cardassian code and blue Starfleet telemetry.

"Alright, let's see how the old girl is breathing," Miles muttered, his cadence dropping into a focused, rhythmic flow. He tapped a sub-menu, checking the structural integrity fields against the 800-ton cargo weight. "Cargo is settled, no shift in the inertial dampeners. Sensor sweeps are clear for five light-years. The warp field is holding a steady 6.4, though the port nacelle is running about three percent hotter than I’d like."

He adjusted a virtual slider on the PADD, remotely shunting a fraction of the power flow to the secondary cooling loop. The Pulaski responded with a low, appreciative thrum through the deck plates.

"We’re cutting through the vacuum like a hot knife," Miles said, finally looking up from the screen. He leaned back against the galley counter, the PADD still clutched in his sturdy hand. "Based on the current thrust and the debris density in the Archanis sub-sectors, I’m putting our ETA at thirty-six hours from the next navigation buoy."

Will stopped slicing the bread, the knife resting against the board as he calculated the math in his head. "Thirty-six hours," he repeated, his voice a low, resonant rumble. "That’s a lot of time to kill in a ship this small, Captain."

Miles felt the weight of the comment. Thirty-six hours of shared meals, shared shifts, and the "no secrets" pact vibrating between them in the cramped quarters of the Pulaski. He clipped the PADD back onto his belt, the magnetic latch clicking with a finality that seemed to punctuate the tension in the room.

"Aye," Miles said, his gaze locking onto Will’s blue eyes. "It’s a long stretch. Plenty of time to get to know every nut and bolt of this ship... and each other."

He reached for a bottle of dark, heavy stout he’d tucked into a corner of the refrigeration unit, the condensation slicking his palm. "But first, I think we eat. A man can't maintain a warp core on an empty stomach."

---

Miles chuckled, a deep, warm sound that seemed to settle right into the marrow of the ship. He slid into the small, bolted-down bench at the far end of the galley table, giving Will plenty of elbow room to maneuver his large frame around the kitchenette. It was a tight squeeze, and every time Will reached for a seasoning or a plate, Miles could see the powerful play of muscles beneath the slate-blue jumpsuit.

Will worked with a quiet, practiced confidence. He pulled a base of hearty, replicated stew from the food slot—the kind of thick, brown fare that Starfleet logistics deemed nutritious—but then he began to work his magic. He crumbled the fresh San Diego sourdough into a bowl, drizzled it with real olive oil he’d found in the market, and topped the stew with thick slices of the sharp terrine he’d sliced earlier.

The aroma in the tiny galley shifted instantly from industrial to home.

Then came the pièce de résistance. Will reached into the cooling unit and pulled out two tall, dark bottles of Guinness. With a flick of his thumb, he cracked the first one open with a satisfying hiss-pop, followed immediately by the second. He set them on the table with a heavy, rhythmic thud.

"Oh... I'm fallin' in love with ye already," Miles breathed, his eyes wide and twinkling with genuine, unadorned delight. He reached out and wrapped a sturdy hand around the condensation-slicked bottle, the cool glass a sharp contrast to the heat of the galley.

Will slid into the bench opposite him, his knees bumping against Miles’s under the narrow table. He didn't pull away. Instead, he raised his own bottle in a silent toast, his blue eyes locking onto the Irishman’s with an intensity that made the "no secrets" pact feel very, very real.

"Don't get too attached to the catering, Captain," Will rumbled, his voice a velvety bass that vibrated through the table. "I might start expecting a promotion to Admiral if I keep this up."

Miles took a long, slow draw of the stout, the creamy foam clinging to his mustache. He let out a contented sigh, leaning back against the bulkhead. "Admiral? Ach, you’re overqualified for that, boyo. In this ship, a man who can find real Guinness and fresh bread is worth more than a dozen Fleet Commanders."

They sat there for a moment in the comfortable silence of the deep black, the only sound the steady hum of the warp core and the clink of glass against the table. The thirty-six-hour countdown was ticking away, and the proximity—the heat of their legs touching, the shared meal, and the absolute isolation of NCC-7419—was starting to feel like its own kind of gravity.

---

The atmosphere in the galley shifted. The hum of the warp core, once a comforting heartbeat, suddenly felt like a heavy, expectant silence. Will leaned back, his large frame nearly dwarfing the bench, his blue eyes softening as he studied the man across from him.

"So, Miles," Will said, his voice dropping into that low, non-judgmental register he used when the rank was stripped away. "Tell me about you and Julian."

Miles froze for a split second, his hand still wrapped around the condensation-slicked bottle of Guinness. He looked down at the dark liquid, his thumb tracing a slow, rhythmic circle on the glass. The sheepishness returned, but it was weighted with a decade of grief and quiet realization.

"Ach, Julian," Miles breathed, the name tasting like a bittersweet vintage. He let out a long, ragged exhale. "I fell in love with him, Will. Hard. There’s no point in lying to a man I’m sharing a shower with. We were... we were getting so close. It was terrifying and beautiful all at once. I think we were a hair’s breadth away from ruining my marriage, from just letting the whole universe burn so we could have one quiet moment together."

He looked up, his eyes bright with a sudden, sharp memory. "Then Jadzia was killed. It was like the floor fell out from under the whole station. And when Ezri arrived... she was part of the woman Julian thought he’d lost forever. He was whisked away by that ghost, by the familiarity of it. I couldn't compete with a Trill symbiont and three hundred years of shared history." Miles was quiet for a moment, thinking of the raven haired beauty. "Honestly, I think all of us were at least a little in love with Jadzia: she had that sparkle, y'know?"

Miles took a heavy swallow of the stout, the bitterness of the hops matching the set of his jaw. "That’s when things really started to crumble with Keiko. The war was over, we moved back to Earth, but the heart of me stayed on that pylons. I finally confessed it to her—told her I loved him. Not just as a friend, but as a man."

He gave a sad, lopsided shrug. "She didn't even look surprised. She just looked tired. She knew, Will. She’d known since the first time I came home from the holosuites with a look on my face I never had for her."

Will didn't say anything for a long moment. He just reached across the small table and let his hand rest briefly on Miles’s sturdy forearm. The heat of the touch was grounding, a silent acknowledgment of the "no secrets" pact they were building in the deep black of 2410.

"Did you ever... tell him? Julian?"

"Och no, I couldn't, he was feckin' jubilant in love with Dax, and I was left holdin' only meself at night after Keiko left me."

"Honesty's a heavy rucksack to carry, Irish," Will murmured, his voice a velvety bass. "But at least you're not carrying it alone anymore. NCC-7419 doesn't have room for ghosts."

Miles looked at Will’s hand, then back up at the man who had traded an Admiral’s stars for a freighter’s grease. The "steel resolve" was still there, but it was beginning to feel more like a bridge than a wall.

[stardancerluv]

What the Emperor Wants

Part Nine

Summary: Emotions take bloom.

Notes/Warnings: Hints of dommy, emperor Geta. Dated views on feelings, ownership & religion.

I saw Gladiator 2. ❤️ed Love Geta. Wrote half of this before seeing it. Only shifted somethings 🫣🥹 my story a smidge.

❤️s, comments, feedback, & reblogs are welcome & appreciated!

Something in him that he wasn’t familiar with came over him. Shifting where he sat, he glanced back at you. There a short distance between the two of you.

“Move closer.” He murmured, just loud enough for you to hear.

Once you were settled, he reached for your hand and held it over his shoulder.

He kept his attention on the dancers. A smile spread across his face. He felt good.

“Sire?” You felt confused.

His thumb grazed the softness of your wrist. You trembled.

“I want to feel your touch.” He pressed your hand to his chest.

You didn’t say anything further. Your touch was subtle as he continued to enjoy the fruits and bread before him, with an occasional sip of his wine.

Occasionally, he’d bring his hand to yours and press it against him before releasing it to let you continue your idle touch. Which felt as delicate as a butterfly wings has they flutter over new spring blossoms.

Catching the eye of one of the personal guards. He motioned for the man to come over.

In hushed tones, he told him to ready the carriage and to send word that villa was to ready for his arrival in the early afternoon. And to have the men ready as well to give a proper escort for himself and you.

The man replied with a positive affirmation, he knew it was possible. He had given them shorter notice when Caracalla had gone through a period of prolonged feelings of distress and tantrums. This would be much easier.

******

You held the breath in you when he motioned for the guard to come over. Their voices were hushed and low. You could not decipher what was said despite being close. You watched as the man gave a nod, stood straight and left with great haste.

Your thoughts whirled at the possibilities of what the exchange could have been. Your stomach turned.

Though as you felt his thumb graze the softness of your wrist, you were brought back to the room in which you sat.

“Diversion from the city lays ahead of us.” He told you softly.

Merriment still surrounded you, torches flickered and hushed pleasant voices grounded the music that player to accompany the dancers that continued to swish and twirl in the center of the room.

“That will be delightful Geta.” You smiled.

Tingles, from how your arm and hand were prickled at you. It reminded you on mornings where you had woken up after laying on your limb. You didn’t dare roll your hand or pull it back. Despite being the emperor, you surely believed he had those same tingles. But you enjoyed this and didn’t wish to disrupt his pleasure.

Feeling a gentle tug, you looked and caught Geta’s gaze. “Yes, Geta?”

“I’m growing tired. We shall retire to my quarters, there is something we need to discuss.”

“Yes.” You replied softly. “Yes, absolutely.” Before his hand released yours, his thumb once again grazed your wrist.

*******

He glanced at you as the two of you walked down the passageways. The footfalls of the two of you were the only ones that mattered in his opinion. The torches flickered and cast shadows here and there.

Looking at you, once again that feeling stirred in him from earlier in the evening. It reminded him of the excitement on the brink of a banquet celebrating a victory or watching a good fight in the arena. Never towards a person, even less towards someone who belonged to him.

His guards opened the doors to his quarters. He ushered you in first.

“Go to the balcony.” He told you, when you began to turn towards him.

You nodded.

He went over to where the guards stood.

“I do not want to be disturbed, Gallus.” He turned to the guard, he saw the most. “If anything else needs to be done before dawn, please do so. I do not want to delay our departure once dawn breaks. And inform Aelia she is to pack her belongings and hers, if she has not already done so, since she will be traveling with me as well.”

“Every well, sire. They are well prepared for your arrival at the destination and for your departure from here.”

“Good.”

With a nod, he closed the door.

He took off his laurel crown and set it down. Running his fingers through hair, he looked at your figure as he walked over to you. He paused, watching you.

You were gazing at your hand, he had enjoyed holding it. The gods have blessed you, he mused. Your hands were as lovely as the ways you twined words together. They were skillful in touch and in mending as well, as he glanced down where you had tended to his wound which stung with its freshness.

“Geta.” Seeing him, you turned with a smile that curled your lips.

He nodded, as he grew closer.

“Tonight’s festivities after justice was served were very pleasing. Do you agree?”

“Yes. Those dances were fascinating. Nothing, I had ever seen before.”

He smiled. “It was the same for me. They have traveled from one of the new providences. It was to celebrate them now being one with Rome.”

“That is wonderful.” You looked down.

He drew your chin up, he studied your features. Yes, he would definitely have to have a craftsman, capture you. It was as if the gods themselves had wielded a paintbrush or sculptors tool when you were created.

“Yes, Geta?”

He could feel your breath. Its steady increase pleased him.

“I’ve grown tired of city and all of the politics. We shall depart and enjoy the good airs and feel in good humor soon.

“We?” Your eyes grew.

He chuckled. “Yes, we. As much as I do enjoy my solitude. And anytime away from Caracalla can feel very good; I wish you to accompany me.”

********

With cloaks on and the blue light of the dawn, you had climbed in and sat with Aelia and Geta was opposite the two of you in the carriage. It was not long, before the streets of the city were shadows in the dust of the wheels and horse’s pace. The horses did not pick up a good trot till out of the confines of the city to not create a disturbance.

******

You tried, struggled even to stay awake, an eagerness to look out the windows had grabbed you. It was exciting to go somewhere you had never been. Even, Aelia had told you briefly how much nicer it was at the villa. Especially with Caracalla staying at the domus in the city.

Vaguely, you wondered about the woman who sat beside you. She was loyal without question to Geta. She had been firm yet show a warmth, a kindness towards you that you had not expected. Not many were. So you accepted and appreciated it.

On either side of the two of you were also guards, you didn’t speak to them and they didn’t speak to you. You barely ever looked up at one. They scared you. Glancing over at Geta, you noticed that he had even bowed his head to sleep. It had run its soft lulling touch over all of you. Your eyes had been growing heavier.

Before succumbing to its soft touch, you caught a glimpse of Geta from under your hood. His lashes laid on his cheeks, his hair like sun-rays themselves were peaking from the edges of his cloak’s hood and his features were soft. Your heart quickened realizing like this he resembled the sculptures you had been blessed to see. He truly, was touched by the gods.

@honey-eyed-munson @amethyst-serenade @screaming-blue-bagel @kitkat80 @blondie324 @alyisdead @hellomadamebutterfly @heartsforjosephquinn @helsa3942

[starrfettii]

Alina Starkov in every episode

[regaliasonata]

Kid Jodio be like:

[clean-bands-dirty-stories]

Breathe ~ D.W. (part 9)

A/n: Been ages huh? I always come back to this series eventually I love it too much. So here’s another installment after ages. I suppose I’ll never be free of it lol. Hope y’all enjoy!!

MASTERLIST

When the TARDIS lurched under their feet, Y/n knew something was wrong. Then it sputtered and Rose caught herself on the railing and the trio all exchanged looks. “What’s this then?” Rose bit. She had been trying extra hard recently to keep things cheery. It had been rough on Y/n, which had been rough on the Doctor, so she had to give more effort than usual to draw them into bantering with her.

Well, maybe Y/n.

The Doctor had a knack for bouncing back.

It showed now as they finally parked and he shrugged, slinging his arm over her shoulders as they all slipped out of the door, Y/n leading them. “I don’t know. It’s like she didn’t want to land. Like she’s having a hard time…”

“Like this place makes her sick,” Y/n offered in more clarification. He felt it on the edges of himself. Something roiling just under the surface. It reminded him that they were connected and that made him anxious. Or maybe she was anxious and he was just feeling it. It seemed the longer he was part of this journeying the stronger the link between them got and the harder it was to distinguish what was him, what was Doctor, and what was TARDIS.

Rose raised an eyebrow, looking over at Y/n. “Well if it’s going to be trouble we can always just… pop back in. Head out.” Her tone lilted with humor and Y/n found himself smiling even before the other two burst out laughing.

“I think… we’re in a cupboard. Come on.” And off they went. They wandered, doors opening and closing, announcing themselves every time. The Doctor went on about humanity and their bases and the things they were made for and it was like every other time. Y/n had long since learned when to engage and when it was okay to space out. Keeping present was growing more and more difficult so he tried not to pull himself.

Perhaps that’s why he so quickly saw the writing on the wall when they entered the new room. “Welcome to Hell,” Rose echoed and the Doctor teased her about it but she laughed and pointed it out. And then suddenly the Doctor was frowning just like Y/n was.

On the wall was spray painted the phrase Rose had read aloud. But underneath there were symbols. Definitely a language, but not one that was translated for them. Not one they could automatically understand.

“Well that’s not right,” Y/n mumbled.

“What does it say?” Rose asked.

The Doctor shot forward to get a closer look and Rose followed but Y/n stayed back. That queasy feeling had grown the closer they’d gotten to this room and Y/n was not a fan. “I don’t know - it won’t translate.” He sounded as disturbed by that as Y/n felt.

Rose looked between the writing and the Doctor. “But I thought the TARDIS translated everything, writing as well.” They both looked back to where Y/n was standing and it shocked him to realize they were looking to him for answers on what was going on with the TARDIS. It made sense but it was more pressure than he liked. Is this how the Doctor always felt?

“It feels… wrong.” He shrugged and the Doctor’s eyebrows furrowed even more.

“Well it’s old for sure,” the Doctor tried. “Very old. Impossibly old.” He stood and began to open the next door. “We should find who’s in charge. If we’ve gone beyond the reach of the TARDIS that’s never good news.” The door began to open and Y/n took a step after them but froze with shock at the mass of figures on the other side of it.

The Doctor and Rose weren’t so lucky. They almost rammed into the creatures and screamed in shock. The Doctor began to babble and charm like he always did, immediately trying to get a way in so he could take control and get the information he needed. His banter was ignored.

“We must feed,” the creatures said in unison. Little lamps they all held light up when their voices echoed and with them having no visible mouth Y/n distantly wondered if the little lamps were maybe somehow also the source of the voices. The creatures had tentacles where lips should be and a tube coming out from between them attaching to the little light. Y/n took a step back.

“We must feed,” echoed the words from the hoard beyond the door.

“You’ve got to what?” The Doctor asked, immediately off put by the lack of a response to anything he’d said.

“We must feed,” the creatures echoed again.

“Yeah I think they mean us,” Rose snapped and yanked the Doctor back as the Ood pushed through the doorway and into the room. The pair ran right into Y/n who spun with them to run and found the door on the other side of the room had opened at one point as well and more Ood were coming from there as well. When had it opened?

“We must feed,” echoed over and over, overlapping and disconnecting so it wasn’t in sync anymore. The Ood approached closed and closed and closed until the trio was backed against the wall. The Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver, Rose grabbed a chair and Y/n put himself in front of them for safety. And then…

Suddenly they all stopped. “We must feed,” said the one in the very front. Then he looked down at the little light he was carrying and shook it until it flickered and then hit it once. “You. If you are hungry.” His eyes crinkled in what Y/n knew was an attempt at a smile.

The Doctor was the first to switch back into a friendly mode. “Sorry?” He asked gently.

“We apologize,” the Ood began again. “Electromagnetics have interfered with speech systems. Would you like some refreshment?” Rose slowly put the chair down and Y/n relaxed. The Doctor grabbed his hand to ground him. He’d gotten a lot more affectionate with small stuff like that. Little things to help keep Y/n here with them instead of spacing out again.

As they tried to come up with a response another door opened, this one announcing itself properly like the others had. “What the hell?” A man was on the other side. He wore a gray shirt, black leather jacket and dog tags. Behind him was a black haired man and a black woman, both with guns. The trio approached those they were clearly stunned to see on their ship. He raised his wrist to his mouth and spoke into it. “Captain-“

Something distant echoed in Y/n’s mind. Something hollow and echoing. Something ancient. It was an ache in Y/n’s bones, a breath on the back of his neck that made the hairs on his arms stand up. A chill across his spine.

Something was watching them.

There was an alarm, he registered distantly. They were rushing off to meet the captain and everything was shaking and they were holding on for dear life and as his vision blurred he swore he saw something.

Someone.

The eyes were clearest. Y/n couldn’t look away from them. Black pits of eternal darkness one could fall into and never hit the floor. Heat licked across his skin, he was sure of it. He was burning. Someone was screaming. There was blonde cropped hair and a sickening smile and hands reaching out. Black veins on white skin and those symbols…. Everywhere. Not smeared with wear and tear like the paint on the wall. No this was a tattoo. A brand. Y/n looked down at his hands and saw it like up when his fingers pressed together.

A hand in his. He looked over to see Rose this time. Her eyes were on the group in the room. Introductions, names he couldn’t keep on his head. Except… Toby. He wondered why.

His eyes flickered back to his hands. There was nothing there.

He looked up and tried to play it cool. He couldn’t melt down in front of all these strangers. They didn’t seem particularly keen on three strangers showing up out of nowhere and they didn’t need to push their luck. He thanked Rose for her attention to him, and especially to the way she played it off now and didn’t look at him. Kept her comfort private so no one else had to gawk at whatever episode Y/n seemed to be having more and more of.

The names stopped as the woman introducing everyone pulled a lever to reveal where they were and what was going on outside with the storm. “This,” she said as the roof above them began to open. “This is home.”

“Careful,” the captain said from his seat. “The sight of it has driven some people mad.”

Y/n wasn’t too worried. They’d either seen something equivalent or much worse.

He should have maybe been a bit more worried than he was.

When the roof opened enough to actually see they all shot to their feet, eyes wide and lips parted. The thing in front of them… “That’s a black hole,” Rose offered.

“Impossible,” the Doctor breathed. But it was possible. Ida, the woman who had introduced everyone before, met the Doctor’s doubt with hard truth and undeniable fact. They could see it for themselves. There was a black hole and here they were. In orbit around it. Suspended just fine, safe, as stars and planets - whole solar systems - were pulled into the hole and demolished. That was the storm. The desolation of every corner of eternity this black hole could reach as it was all swallowed into oblivion, ramming into an impossible ship kept in place.

A complete breaking of physics. Even the Doctor was stunned.

He kept asking though. Kept getting all the details, every single one, and Rose learned about the Ood.

It was then that Y/n realized he already knew the name of the creatures. When had he started calling them that? When had he simply known what they were called? Was this a new ability? Seeing the past and the future, and now the present as well? Simply knowing things all throughout time?

It could be worse.

Y/n smiled as the Doctor got excited about humans and their gumption and curiosity and borderline stupidity. It was a reminder to himself as well. That not everything was bad. That there was still hope as long as humanity was horribly curious, a little brave, and quite stupid.

As the Doctor was telling them to leave, Ida made a comment that stopped Y/n cold though. “Look who’s talking. How did you get here then?” The Doctor began to ramble about the TARDIS, knowing he couldn’t really explain it, and where they’d parked. How it tended to simply appear places.

Then the captain - Zack - said something that made Y/n realize why the others had gone from suddenly. “In storage six?” Storage six. The Doctor and Y/n realized it at the same time. Earlier Zack had made a comment about how the Earthquake during the storm had taken some of the base out. Strange five through eight.

The Doctor was running but Y/n found himself still. Staying behind. That fear wasn’t there, the emptiness hadn’t settled. He didn’t even have time to wonder if it was shock before the Doctor was back and looking at Y/n. “What is it?” He asked.

Y/n pursed his lips. “I don’t know. It’s like last time. Like I still feel that connection, that draw. She wasn’t dead last time and I… I don’t think she’s gone this time either.” He shrugged. “I know it sounds silly-“

“It’s not silly, it’s impossible,” Zack said flatly. “We don’t have the extra resources to find your ship.”

“It’s fallen to the center - right where you’re already going,” the Doctor tried.

“Not entirely. It’s just off and we can’t afford that. No extra resources, Doctor. Nothing. No exceptions.”

It wasn’t crushing like last time. There was peace to it. Y/n had leaned back against the control panel and now the Doctor joined him, their shoulders touching. The contact was enough. Potentially losing the TARDIS in the other dimension had been world ending but that weight just wasn’t there. The Doctor looked at Y/n with a sort of desperation and it was clear. Perhaps he had lost the TARDIS, but they’d already discussed this once. They didn’t have to again. He had Y/n. Maybe that could be enough.

“I’ve trapped you here.” The Doctor looked at Rose with apology. Maybe he wasn’t spiraling but he still had other things to worry about. Other ways to torture himself.

“Don’t worry so much,” Rose dismissed immediately. “Y/n said-“

“Y/n’s abilities are sometimes even beyond my own,” the Doctor agreed. “But we can’t always depend on that. If something goes wrong… all this means is that the TARDIS isn’t dead. There are other ways to lose people.” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “We may never get you back to your mother again.”

Immediately Rose shook her head. “We’ll be fine.” The building shook and she leaned into the Doctor. He wrapped his arms around her as Y/n’s cheek pressed to the Doctor’s shoulder. “We’ll be fine,” she whispered again. It was a lot to process but she was handling it a little better with a little bit of home with her. Y/n supposed he made things like this easier for both of them. A sudden pressure to never let anything happen to himself settled on him more than he’d realized before.

Oh boy.

They took a minute and then headed to the mess hall to get some food. The Doctor and Rose went to get food, Rose offering to get Y/n something as well. He nodded, realizing she had seen the headache he was feeling coming on. He sat and waited for the others as images began to press into his mind. Red eyes this time. Lips parted in a scream. A blue box falling into darkness. Orange skin… plastic? A hazmat suit maybe?

“Are you okay?” Rose set a test down in front of him and he took it with a weak smile.

“It’s that thing I do. But… I don’t know.”

“Seeing the past?” The Doctor asked.

Y/n swallowed. “Seeing the future.” The Doctor’s eyes widened but he didn’t say anything. “It really only manifested as moments the last times it happened. Nothing significant. Sometimes not even something I can make sense of. But this - it’s not even like that. It was always my personal future. Tiny glimpses.” He smiled softly but it crumbled quickly. “This is something darker. I don’t know - it’s like something is trying to get to me. Reaching out. And the closer it gets the more I see something happening seconds ahead of me. Maybe something happening right now, or right now, or now.” He sighed.

Rose rested her cheek on his shoulder. “We’re a long way from home.”

Y/n managed a smile at that. “Oh it’s not too far. What would you say Doctor, 500 years or so?”

The Doctor paused and Y/n registered that calculating expression. The careful placement of his features and the thin line his lips had pressed into. It was a look Y/n knew but had never seen before. The look of someone who was walking a cliff edge. The Doctor didn’t like soldiers, he never had. People who carry guns and get angry and fight fire with fire. Sure they were dangerous and made matters worse more often than not. But… they also remind the Doctor of himself. He needs companions that ground him and pull him from that precipice that threatens to pull him under constantly.

Could Y/n be that for him anymore?

It was a terrifying thought.

And a daunting task.

Y/n looked away as Ida spoke up and opened the roof to show them something. A red streak moving through the sky. What used to be the Scarlet System, getting devoured. It made Rose homesick. She checked her phone and sighed.

“No signal.” She tried to smile and fell short. “We’ve never been out of the TARDIS’ reach before. But, I suppose even if I could. What would I even say to her?” She looked at Y/n as if he could have an answer and got a shrug in response.

“No one knows what would satiate Jackie Tyler. She makes up her own mind about that sort of thing.”

That actually got Rose to smile. “You can’t build another TARDIS can you? Two geniuses like yourselves.”

The Doctor paused, eyes on Y/n. “They weren’t built. They were grown. And with my home planet gone… we’re kind of stuck.”

Rose reached over, taking Y/n’s hand. He rested his cheek on top of her head. “Could be worse,” she tried. “This lot said they’d give us a lift.”

“And then what?” The Doctor was still looking at Y/n when he asked it but his eyes slowly drifted to Rose and stayed there.

She looked back, frowning. “I don’t know. Find a planet. Get a job. Live your life the same as the rest of the universe.”

“The long way around,” Y/n mused.

“I’d have to settle down,” the Doctor pouted. “Get a house or something. A proper house with-“ he stuttered over words for a second. “Doors and things. Carpets. Me, living in a house! Now that… that…” he struggled again and Y/n reached across to take his hand with the one he had free. The Doctor relaxed and eased.

“We can do it together. Figure out how to live something mundane and normal after… all we’ve seen together.” He scoffed and the Doctor and Rose actually laughed.

Rose lifted her head. “Oh god you and I, getting married one day? What do you say?”

Y/n barely contained a grin. “Well I suppose.” His eyes flickered over to the Doctor who suddenly seemed nervous. “Jackie will kill us for getting married without her.” They both laughed.

“Oh, Jackie,” the Doctor sighed. “I promised her I’d always bring you back home.”

Rose raised a hand to fiddle with her earring, eyeing the black hole but not really seeing it. It was just something to look at. “Everyone leaves home in the end.”

The Doctor grew a little more sober. “Not to end up stuck here.”

“Stuck here with you two,” Rose shot back. “That’s not so bad.” She squeezed Y/n’s hand, reaching over with her free hand to take the Doctor’s other as well. She must have squeezed his hand as well because he squeezed Y/n’s and that made him smile.

The Doctor pulled Y/n’s hand to his lips, leaving a kiss on the knuckles. “Marriage. Scary.” Y/n blushed at the implication of this conversation. The fact that they were having it at all. The Do toe seemed so okay with it all. He had been running his entire life… could he stop? Was he even capable of it?

Rose’s phone rang and the trio looked at it at the same time, confusion taking over all their expressions. She raised the phone to her ear.

“Hello?” Nearly the second she said it her face went blank and she chuckled the phone to get it away from her. Y/n and the Doctor both tensed and she turned them with urgency in her eyes. “We need to discuss something. Y/n’s visions - they’re not the in out weird thing. The Ood keep saying weird things, and my call just now- He is awake. That’s what it said.”

The Doctor suddenly got very serious. “Y/n I need to hear every detail of your visions that you can remember. Every single one.”

He told him. Told him about the eyes and the blackness and the red ones too. The inky symbols on his skin and the voice and the breath on the back of his neck. After Rose mentioned the Ood said something in the cafeteria earlier they were on the move.

They asked about the Ood and found there was a telepathic field they all communicated through because they were empathic. Y/n couldn’t focus. That queasy feeling hadn’t ever really left but he had gotten used to it. But now it was getting worse again, pressing against the back of his throat. Words were fading out and he gripped the railing so as not to collapse.

All he could hear was-

“He is awake.” It was Rose’s voice. But he didn’t really seem to care. All his brain could provide him was one response. Words stuck in his throat that needed to get out. That forced their way.

“And you will worship him.” Y/n spoke in sync with the Ood and Rose jumped.

The Doctor looked between Y/n and the Ood and grabbed the railing with both hands.

“He is awake,” the Doctor echoed.

“And you will worship him,” Y/n was forced to say again. Then distant voices, far away again, like warbling in between static in a radio. Nothing at all. And then Y/n felt dizzy and his eyes fluttered and his grip loosened and he heard that scream again. A distant, high pitched woman’s scream. He saw fingers clinging to metal, loosening, and hands disappearing out of view.

Someone had died.

But he couldn’t save her.

He couldn’t even save himself.

He was falling too. Into blackness again. Into that darkness in those eyes. And his time when he fell there was no touch to shake him out of it. He just kept falling. He was suddenly sure he always would be.

-

When Y/n woke up he was covered in sweat. His body temperature was too high; he already knew it. He was on the ground, on his side. Still in the room with the Ood but now he has a pillow under his head. “What happened?”

Someone nervy offered a hand and he took it, letting them help him to his feet. “You passed out. The drill stopped and Ida and the Doctor went down to see about the power source.”

Y/n’s heart stopped. Bad. Very bad. This was not good. “Where’s Rose?”

“Command deck. She- hey! You’re supposed to stay here!”

But Y/n was running. He booked it as fast as he could, opening door after door and barely pausing to close it behind him. He hit the command deck and the door opened just as he saw what he knew he would. Toby, eyes red, those black symbols covering every inch of skin, lips blue. Dead. Something else controlling him.

Everyone jumped when Y/n entered. Toby spun around and locked eyes with him, grinning. “Oh it’s you. My favorite.”

Y/n’s face darkened. “Shut it. You’ll say anything to make me hate myself.”

Toby laughed. Well, his body did at least. That hadn’t been Toby for hours now. “I don’t need to make you do anything. You already do. Do you want to know a secret?” He stepped forward and Y/n held his ground, eyes blazing. Rose reached for him but stopped in her fear. Paused a little too long and didn’t quite touch him. “He hates you too. He sees the corruption in you, and you will lose him as you will lose everyone.”

It wasn’t a speech. It wasn’t a threat. But there was an emptiness to it. This creature couldn’t see the future. But it could see the present, and the comment about the Doctor hating him really could be true. How often did the devil lie? No beating around the bush, no manipulation, no twisting, no half truth. A full lie.

He tried not to think about it.

He didn’t even pause, didn’t even wait. He spun around and hooked his arm around Rose. “Run!” He shouted. Toby groaned and the ink on his skin puffed into smoke in the air. Leaving him clean. And wafting into the Ood, whose eyes turned red. The door had been left open by him and he ushered them all through it. Unfortunately the way Y/n had come was the way toward more Ood and they were stopped by the man who’d woken Y/n earlier.

“Get back!” He yelled. “It’s the Ood! Go the other way!”

So they did the only thing they could do. They went back, and the idiots with guns did the only thing they were good at: they killed the Ood in their way now. Y/n tried to blink the memories away of a different fire. A battle like this. Whatever was amplifying the Doctor’s memories in his mind - this wasn’t the time.

He moved to Rose as she got in contact with the Doctor. “Are you okay?” He asked quietly. The others were yelling at the Ood and some new weapon but Rose was all Y/n cared about now.

She looked at him, recognizing that haunted look in his eyes again. The fear he’d had when her face had been wiped.

She grabbed his hand. “I’m okay, don't worry yourself. Not too much. I need that thinker of yours.” He nodded immediately.

And then he did something a little scary. He turned, kicking Jefferson in the chest. Rose screamed but Jefferson dropped the gun and that was what mattered. Y/n kicked the gun down the hall. It slid past Toby, still on the ground, and out of reach. “What did you do that for?” Jefferson yelled. He was the leader of the soldiers and guards here and Y/n didn’t trust him.

Not just because he’d had a gun.

“You were going to shoot Toby.”

Jefferson blinked. “How did you-?”

Rose looked at Jefferson with fury. “Don’t touch a hair on his head!”

“I don’t follow orders from you,” the old man snapped. “I saw him infected. I saw him bring that thing in here, whatever got to the Ood and messed them up. We all did!”

“What we all saw was that whatever it was, it’s gone,” Rose snapped back. Her voice grew gentler as she approached the man, trying to be as non threatening as possible. Y/n couldn’t do that right now - he was reeling again. “Look at his face, nothing there. It passed into the Ood. He’s clean.”

That wasn’t quite right, Y/n was sure of it. Or maybe he was being paranoid. Either way it didn’t matter. If they could save Toby they had to try - and Jefferson would kill him if he thought he was any kind of threat.

Rose did well.

Jefferson backed off.

As the Doctor and Ida began to get on the capsule to be brought up to the surface, something it took them a second to decide on, the lights flickered and comms were taken over by the Ood. All of then that could, squishing into frame to tell them the Devil was coming after them. That it would kill them all and escape. Telling them things about their past it shouldn’t know. Listed them one by one, with titles and insights about who they were that was… impossible.

It called Y/n ‘the failure who no one can help but trust, who will let them all down when it matters’ and Y/n felt that feeling again. The breath on the back of his neck. And maybe he was pet TARDIS and part Timelord and maybe he was immortal and maybe if he fell into that black hole nothing would happen to him. But it would kill the Doctor and it would kill Rose and he wouldn’t be able to stop it. Nothing else mattered. They would fail. They would die.

The Doctor’s voice cut through the chaos after some feedback got everyone to go silent. The Doctor rallied everyone as he always did. Reminded them they had a chance. Gave them a boost, encouraged them, kept them going. And then the cord that was supposed to pull up the capsule with them inside it snapped and the feedback cut and sure they had life signs but by all intents and purposes, Ida and the Doctor were trapped ten miles below them with no way out and no way to even communicate.

They were gone.

Y/n fell to his knees.

Rose took control. She led everyone as she always could in a pinch. Got everyone organized as she’s learned from the Doctor. No one could deny the authority in her voice - especially when she was completely correct. She used every single person on a taste to complete a plan. They’d travel through the vents to get to Ood habitation and filter a virus that would kill all of them. Zack would filter air as they went by hand. They’d have to be fast and they’d have to stay together. Danny, the man who had been there when Y/n woke up, who usually watched the Ood, made the virus and then they were off. Rose grabbed Y/n’s hand and she gave him a look. Stone hard and cold.

“Promise me you can do this. I need you to move on your own now.”

Rose’s words stung. He hated being a liability. He didn’t know what was wrong with him. He felt useless and stuck. The heat was rising inside him.

But he could do anything for her. “Of course I can. I’m sorry Rose. I didn’t mean to make you doubt me.”

“I never doubt you,” she promised. And that did make him feel better.

They were in the vents as quickly as they could get, but the Ood followed. Jefferson stayed behind to slow them down and they raced as fast as they could to get as far away as possible. But he stayed too long and the door closed and he was left behind. Losing air. And he said his goodbyes. Then he was gone.

Y/n saw it in moments. Flashes. Like a skipping tape. Could feel the heat creeping up again and all he could do was focus on going forward no matter what. Unfortunately when they’re next junction opened the Ood we’re waiting for them and they had to leave the vents and book it on foot. They raced to Ood habitation and Danny input the virus just in time. All the Ood died.

This time Y/n blocked it out. That connection he had, that link he seemed to be tapping into. The part of the TARDIS that connected him to everything around him. He shut it off. The heat stopped and he felt suddenly freezing. His vision focused, his heart beat slowed and his breathing evened. The Ood died and whatever was sinking into Y/n was gone.

They all ran to the comms to try and get to the Doctor and Ida, but they were still down so Zack began to work to try and boost comms to get to them.

Rose looked at Y/n. “You’re looking better. What happened?”

Y/n shook his head. “I don’t know I-“ he felt a deep and profound loss. Something was missing. Something was gone. It terrified him.

But before they could figure it out Zack stepped back and Rose grabbed the comm to try and get to Ida. She yelled for them to report, and they got a voice back.

Ida’s.

“He’s gone,” was all she said at first.

Rose and Y/n locked eyes. “What do you mean he’s gone?” Rose asked. But there was agony in both of their eyes.

“He fell,” Ida answered. And they couldn’t blame her because Rose had asked, but Y/n wanted to. “Into the pit. And I don’t know how deep it is - miles and miles and miles.

Rose blinked, looked away. Tried to hold on to something. There was loss in Y/n’s eyes but she refused to believe it in a million years. He didn’t want her to believe it anyway. The loss he felt wasn’t for the Doctor. Not yet. He wasn’t sure… he couldn’t know if the Doctor was dead or not. Not anymore. Or maybe… maybe the loss was the knowing. Maybe that was the thing he didn’t have. It made his heart sink.

“What do you mean he fell?” Rose asked.

“I couldn’t stop him,” Ida answered and it made Y/n’s eyes water. Of course she couldn’t. No one could have. “He said your name, Rose.”

Rose didn’t respond. She handed the comm to Zack and he talked to Ida as Rose looked at Y/n. “We can’t leave him,” she whispered.

Y/n stared at her with wide eyes. “Rose I… no. We can’t stay here. We’ll die.”

“We won’t. He’ll be back,” she insisted. “You know the Doctor will be back Y/n.”

“No.” Y/n shook his head but Rose had that look in her eyes again. The unstoppable look. Like nothing would convince her or change her mind. And Y/n knew it wouldn’t.

“What’s the matter?” Zack asked as he turned from the comms.

Y/n shot him a very meaningful glance. “She wants to stay on the planet.”

“I want to wait for him,” Rose insisted. “He’ll come back and I have to be here. We have to be here!”

Zack stared at her with pity. “I’m sorry but… he’s dead.”

Rose shook her head. “You don’t know him like we do. Y/n, tell him.”

But Y/n couldn’t help her this time. “I do know him Rose, you’re right. And I know he’s probably not dead. But I also know he can’t get to us. I also know he’d be furious if we stayed. I know that no matter where we go he’ll find us if he can. We don’t have to wait here, no matter where we are, he’ll find us. And staying here won’t help, we'll just get in the way. He’ll pull some miracle and he’ll come back but we have to trust him alright? We have to trust that he’ll find us when we leave, and we have to take care of ourselves and each other in the meantime.” He grabbed her hand. “Please.”

Rose hesitated too long. Y/n thought she was going to argue again. But then she just met his gaze. “Promise me he’ll come back. Promise me he’s alive and has a plan. With your thing, your connection. Tell me he’s okay.”

Y/n did something perhaps quite cruel.

He lied.

“I promise. I have all the Doctor’s brain up here-“ he tapped his forehead. “And he’s figuring it out right now. He’s facing it no problem and he needs us to be safe so he can be the hero again. You know him.” He offered his hand and she paused a second longer but then nodded and took it.

She could hate him later. He would tell her when they were safe. When she couldn’t get hurt or put her life on the line meaninglessly.

They all made their way to the rocket as fast as they could. Buckled in as Zack began to work as quickly as he could to get them to lift off. They were gone as quickly as they could, Y/n reaching over to take Rose’s hand when she looked out the window to watch the planet disappear from view. Somewhere in the middle of it she looked away, toward Y/n. “It doesn’t make sense.”

Y/n frowned. “What doesn’t?”

“We escaped. But if it just wanted to kill us, I mean, it could have in a bunch of different ways. Ripped the whole thing apart, skipped the monologue and just started killing. But it didn’t. It’s like it let us go.”

Toby suddenly turned to Rose before Y/n could respond. “Rose, would you do us a favor? Shut up.” His words were so harsh and so sudden and violent. Rose looked at Y/n and he nodded. That was when the gravity field collapsed. They began falling into the black hole. Toby screamed something and Y/n watched with wide eyes as Rose grabbed the bolt shooter and took aim at the window and pulled the trigger. The glass exploded and everyone screamed as the vacuum of space pulled against them. Rose unbuckled Toby. He was pale again, eyes red and symbols back across his skin.

Zack threw up the shields and they stopped suffocating. Y/n wasn’t much aware. He was seeing things again.

The vision started with glimpses like they usually did. A woman with red hair, then two, both ruffling Y/n’s hair and laughing at something he’d said, but at very different times. A man with dark skin as he rolled his eyes at an older white man and a blonde woman next to them in a long, gray coat that was awkwardly looking between them. Another old man, but this one much grumpier than the last one. A few of him actually. Mostly of him scowling until his eyes landed on Y/n, and then softening. Sometimes the old man was with a brunette woman with a sly, teasing smile hidden behind her hand, and sometimes he was with a black woman who laughed loudly and openly teased the old man for looking at Y/n the way he did. There was another woman too, with brown hair that curled even though she often wore it tied on top of her head. She glared at Y/n, sneering even as she made jokes that Y/n seemed to genuinely laugh at - which only seemed to irritate the woman more.

The visions seemed to catch the second they hit the man with the bow tie again. They stopped and slowed. Not flashes, but moments. He was dancing with Y/n. He was running and gripping Y/n’s hand. He was blubbering about being kissed by someone named Amy, and the drama of it all and how he really didn’t mean it while Y/n laughed. He was wearing an odd hat Y/n had never seen before, but it got ripped off his head and thrown in the air and a shot rang out through the air.

Y/n spun around to see another woman. She had curly blonde hair and a smirk across her lips. Her eyes were bright and shining and when she saw Y/n looking at her there was something distinctly flirty about it. It was confusing. It was easy to tell the Doctor apart from companions. Even the blonde woman with the bob - the anxious one who had been looking between the two arguing men - Y/n knew she was the Doctor too. Companions had such a distinct energy…

This woman wasn’t the Doctor. She carried a gun and there was a dangerous edge to her that Y/n knew the Doctor was capable of but would never display as proudly as this woman was. And yet… there was something about her. She wasn’t a companion. Y/n would say the Master if that were possible but she couldn’t be. She had such a similar energy to the woman with dark curly hair that pinned it up, but the irritation that woman had displayed toward Y/n wasn’t there. And she made Y/n feel very different things.

The next few visions were all of her. Most of them she had that smirk on her face, and some of them she was kissing Y/n. And some of them she was kissing the Doctor - the man on the bow tie.

So definitely not the Master then.

None of them told him how they all fell in love, and it shook him that Rose was nowhere in sight, but it was clear that something had happened and she was gone. And this woman…

“River,” Y/n sighed. “You need to get up.” Y/n felt his heart drop into his toes as the woman curled next to him groaned.

“I want more time.” She reached up, pressing a kiss to Y/n’s forehead.

Y/n chuckled. “You definitely have time. To serve. As the law requires.” The words were coming out of his mouth and the vision was so clear he could feel his heart fluttering and the smile across his face but that didn’t mean any of it made sense.

“It’s so unfair,” River complained. She turned and swung a leg over Y/n to settle on his stomach, leaning down to brush her fingers across his skin. “I only killed the man a little bit. Can’t I enjoy my time with the loves of my life?”

Y/n laughed but his stomach plummeted into his toes. Not his stomach in the vision - that was still fluttering with butterflies, his skin tingling at her touch. Which made even less sense! This woman had killed someone? She was in jail? Had he broken her out? Had she broken herself out just to be here with him? Why would he be with someone like that?

“I'm sure the Doctor will forgive you,” Y/n sighed with love in his voice. But Y/n felt his heart stop in his chest. The implication was clear. This woman had killed the Doctor. How could Y/n love her? All the context was missing. He didn’t understand!

The scene changed and he was looking at his Doctor again. The blue suit and sneakers and spikey hair was all there, but there was a new darkness too. A hollowness. He was older and had lost more. Y/n reached up exactly as he wanted to, running his hands through the man’s hair. The Doctor melted under the touch, his head falling on Y/n’s shoulder. “I missed you.”

Y/n felt his heart ache. “I know,” he responded. He swallowed. The him that was seeing this and the him that was experiencing the moment were completely in sync. So much so that it was hard to hold onto as a vision and it was just a day Y/n was living.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

Y/n sighed. He cupped the Doctor’s face, lifting him by the chin to bring their eyes together. “I lost her too. I know how it felt. I know… how it must have felt. To realize I knew the whole time. I can imagine, I mean.”

He shook his head, his eyes watering. “Y/n it wasn’t your fault. You do so much for me and I turned my back on you. It’s only because Donna-“

“It doesn’t matter,” Y/n rushed. “I need you to hear me, Doctor. You’re going to mess up. So am I. And I already forgive you. I have forgiven you a hundred times over because I love you and I know what I am getting myself into every single time I choose you. And I will keep choosing you forever. Do you understand me? I love you.”

The Doctor melted, his eyes softening and some of that light coming back again. “What will I do when I keep losing them?” He sighed. “How do you manage it, knowing how they go?”

Y/n thought over that for a moment. “Honestly, I can’t make decisions for you or anyone. All of them will do as they see fit. And you need them. And I need them. And they need us. Especially you.” He left a kiss on the Doctor’s nose and he smiled ever so softly. “And there are more friends around the corner. Family. And you lose them too, but… the moments you get to have them at all are worth it I think.” He brushed his thumb across the Doctor's cheek. “Does that make sense?”

The Doctor nodded. “A bit.”

Y/n smiled. “Come on. Bed time. You need your sleep.”

Sliding off of the counter he was sitting on, the Doctor rolled his eyes but didn’t resist as Y/n pulled him along. “Alright mum,” he said sarcastically. Y/n laughed and the sound echoed and the TARDIS itself seemed to get a little brighter and the Doctor’s smile grew. They would be okay. They’d figure it all out eventually.

When Y/n woke up he was on the TARDIS. He ran his hands through his hair and sat up, wiping his eyes. Something was off. He slid out of bed and headed into the control room.

The wrong control room.

No wait. This was his control room. Why did he expect a different one? He raised a hand to rub his temples just as the front doors of the TARDIS opened to the sound of laughter. Y/n’s eyes snapped up, wide.

Rose.

Why was he so surprised to see Rose?

At some point in his visions, it seemed the future him had gotten muddled with the current him. And the future him was stunned to see this past version of life, with this TARDIS and this Rose.

Rose and the Doctor froze when they turned and saw Y/n. The Doctor was the first to break. He was across the room in a second, hands on Y/n’s jaw so he could maneuver his face as he checked his eyes. “I told you to keep him in his room until we got back,” he grumbled, and Y/n smiled as he realized the man was talking to the TARDIS.

The Doctor was so young… exactly as he had been for as long as Y/n had known him. It was a weird balance, the haunted man he’d seen in the future and the haunted man he saw now.

Rose was there only a second later, frowning with concern. “Y/n are you okay?”

Y/n stared at her too long. Maybe that’s why she had asked. But he just smiled wider and nodded. “I’m okay. Have I been out long?”

The Doctor had that look he always did when he was deeply displeased by something. “Four days.” He was worried and that was making him protective. Defensive even. Like he was ready for an argument.

Maybe Y/n would have argued before. He couldn’t remember, it felt ages away. All he could see now was that fragile man with the ancient eyes that were so tired. Even more than his Doctor. You couldn’t argue too much with that man, he might actually get upset. You had to count your losses where you could and be cleverer about the things that mattered. “I’m sorry you must have been so worried about me.”

“Worried?” Rose scoffed. “Y/n we were out of our minds. What happened back on the Bitter Pill?”

Y/n opened his mouth but then closed it. He looked at the Doctor and worked his jaw. “Whatever creature we faced was messing with everything attached to the psychic field. I think I found myself attached to it at some point. That’s probably how I’ve been so connected to everything since the beginning. Some very weak psychic abilities. Latent. My good instinct that leads us places, my intense empathic ability, how I even connected to all the Cybermen who died in the other universe.” He shrugged. “I turned it off.”

The Doctor’s eyes widened. “You what?”

Y/n rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry, it’s confusing for me too. I don’t know if it’ll come back or what’s going on with me. I’m as confused as you are honestly.”

Rose pursed her lips. “Well. You kept passing out, and the way you connected to all that - it was terrifying. We couldn’t drag you around everywhere, if it had gotten really bad… I don’t know it-“

“You shouldn’t come traveling with us for a while,” the Doctor stated bluntly. “We need to see how this is affecting you a bit more long term before we risk your life again. Even if you don’t die, I will not lose you. Do you understand?”

Y/n nodded. “That makes sense. I’ll keep an eye over the TARDIS for a while.”

That surprised the Doctor. “I-“ He paused, trying to filter through that. “Y/n. May I scan your mind?” Y/n smiled and nodded, knowing the Doctor was being paranoid but also that he had every right to be. So Y/n sat and let the Doctor run all his tests. He even let the Doctor scan through his mind, tucking away the visions he’d seen when he was unconscious.

“Y/n,” the Doctor began. “You need to show me everything I need to make sure you’re okay.”

Y/n chuckled. “No I don’t. They’re visions of the future, Doctor. Spoilers.”

They were looking at each other, eyes open, so they could both see the other reacting to this situation. The patience Y/n had while waiting for the Doctor to accept that they both knew he had to drop it even as he fought it.

Finally the Doctor sighed. “Fine.” He leaned back. “What you saw changed you.” Y/n didn’t lie - he nodded. The Doctor frowned. “Should I be worried?”

“You’ll always be worried. But you’re right - I can’t be in the way. I may be immortal but you two are not. So go on your little adventures and I’ll rest. I need some time to myself anyway. It’s been a lot since this whole thing happened and I really haven’t had time to process it. So-“ he shrugged.

Rose hummed. “Let’s eat something. We can tell you what you missed.” Y/n got excited and hopped up, racing to the kitchen. Rose and the Do tor exchanged looks. There was something off about Y/n but perhaps some things would stay the same if he always got this excited for food. Everything else they could figure out later. For now they had stories to tell.

[iblameashley]

Interruptions and Interlude

Civilian | Male | Gay

2,900~ words

Content: Injury recovery, medication, alcohol, nightmares, relationships (platonic and intimate mentioned), swearing, cohabitation, teasing and ribbing of friends, mostly fluff, gay stuff.

Follow up to Ghost Falls Silent, Simon Stands

Simon 'Ghost' Riley | John Price | Kyle 'Gaz' Garrick | Male Reader

!!!SFW!!!

[Its been a while since my last update! Sorry!] Ghost recovery gets a bit upended when he gets a visit from Price and Gaz, who want to check up on their friend and brother-in-arms... and maybe to see how well he's getting along with his 'temporary' roommate. Neither can resist the opportunity to mess with the man, especially when said roommate returns to the flat.

Tag List: @a-sleepy-dissapointment

(Permission to use image from @loneghostwolf)

The quiet routine of recovery was getting easier for Ghost – more than he wanted to admit. Even with you around, his flat was still, miraculously, a bubble of calm. Perhaps he had just gotten used to the sound of your steps at night, or the soft clattering in the kitchen each morning. But you weren’t intrusive anymore. You were just... there.

About the only thing you did to truly piss him off – which he apparently had just adjusted to – was you pulling the cigarette from his fingers and putting it out.

“Smoking will kill you.” You had said. Ghost would have burst out laughing at the comment, but his body still hurt. There was a part of him that couldn’t shake the feeling that you were being a little shit with him, too.

But at one point, Ghost had made an unspoken agreement with you. He’d go on the balcony, and he’d only smoke once a day, just to shut you up. Just so you wouldn’t give him that look.

Today was different though. The silence of the flat was... quieter. You were currently back at your flat, doing laundry, checking the post, and whatever else you needed to do on your day off.

“Finally some peace.” Ghost grumbled to himself, though even he was unconvinced by the statement.

Ghost tucked his hand under his shirt to run his calloused fingers over the newest addition to his scars. The scar was rougher than his fingertips, and itched something fierce. He let out a throaty growl and pushed off the balcony railing, flicking his cigarette butt into the nearby tray.

“Fucking hell...”

Before the lumbering grump could do anything else, there was a loud rap at the door. He inhaled sharply and made his way to the front door.

Opening the door with some force, he gave a cocky smirk, “Forgot yer key agai-”

He stopped mid-sentence as he took in the sight before him. Price and Gaz stood there in the hallway in their civvies.

“Oh... Cap, Gaz.” Ghost nodded before stepping aside to let the two men in. “Thought you were my shadow... forgetting his key again.”

As Price and Gaz entered, Ghost noticed a paper bag in hand. Burgers.

“You like that shadow of yours, and don’t you dare try to convince me otherwise, Simon.” Price shot back with a cocky smirk as he walked in.

Ghost grabbed his shoulder and stopped him. “Shoes off. Flat rule.” He said. His brow furrowed as he realized that rule was yours, not his, and somewhere along the way just stuck. He grit his teeth and let go of Price.

Price of course didn’t question it, Gaz either, and both removed their shoes before going further.

“Burgers?” Ghost asked, changing the subject abruptly.

Gaz gave a curt nod and moved to the kitchen table, setting the bag down. “Figured you were getting tired of homemade meals and someone picking up after you.” He prodded Ghost.

“Fuck off, Gaz, and get the burgers out.”

Price let out a sound similar to a snort as he made himself at home, opening the fridge to grab some beers for the group.

“Yes, sir.” Gaz mocked him with a salute before opening the bag and setting four burgers on the table with some chips. “Where is ‘the shadow’ you two speak of?” He inquired.

“Back at ‘is flat right now. Living out of his luggage right now and needed to do some errands.” Ghost explained, trying to sound as disinterested as possible. “Got ‘im a burger too?”

“Of course, gotta thank the mate that’s been taking care of our LT.” Gaz grinned. “We’ll save it for him.”

Ghost gave a grunt and joined Price and Gaz at the kitchen table, slumping down in the chair and scratching at the scar.

“Shouldn’t be scratching at it.” Price chastised Ghost like a father.

“Christ, you sound like ‘im right now.” He hissed, scratching it more indignantly. “Like I got my own missus on me arse. Pattering behind me like a fuckin’ puppy.” He continued to complain. He stopped scratching and grabbed the burger, unwrapping it and taking a large bite.

“...and for some reason, that lad sees charm in you...” Gaz said, squinting at Ghost as if trying to see that charm for himself. He knew it was just Ghosts personality. The alley cat in him was coming out; he wants friends, family and love, but already hissing and swatting everyone back.

“Domesticated life suits you, Simon.” Price remarked in his usual gruff tone.

“You two come here to tell me to put a ring on the lads finger? Or check up on me?” Ghost replied, this time actually annoyed by the teasing. He wasn’t used to being on the receiving end of such ribbing since he was a recruit.

“Both, obviously.” Price grinned, chomping into his burger.

“So how are you doing?” Gaz asked, picking up a chip and biting the end off.

Ghost fingered his beer for a moment, then took a slow sip. He swallowed and stared at the men opposite him. “I want to be back on base. I want to be back on missions.” He replied, trying to be diplomatic about his answer. “Can’t do fuck all as a civvy.”

“Well, you are technically a dead man, does make taking a holiday difficult without being smuggled over boarders as an operative.” Gaz laughed. “But that wasn’t the question, mate. How are you doing?” He repeated.

Ghost looked at Price as if expecting him to bail him out, but Price just sat there eating his burger and drinking his beer.

Prick.

“I’m antsy. Feel useless.” He confessed. A heavy sigh escaped his mouth. “Hate the lad doting on me so much, like I’m incapable...”

“The lad likes you, Simon. Whether that’s in a romantic way or platonic, I can’t say. But he wants to help you. He wants his friend to be OK.” Price finally interjected plainly. No, it was soft again. He was being a father again.

Prick.

As is the topic of Ghosts new flatmate was a summoning spell, the front door clicked open and you appeared, suitcase in tow and a couple grocery bags slumped over on the floor.

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You took a few minutes to get settled, giving a polite nod to both Price and Gaz as you entered the flat. Price, being the gentleman he is, came over and took the bags from you and put the items away until you returned from your room, suitcase no longer in tow.

“Got ya’ a beer, mate.” He nodded at the cold beer at the empty spot at the kitchen table. “Take a seat, we brought ya’ some food.”

You smiled and plunked down into the seat with the three other men. “Thanks, I’m starving.” Your stomach grumbled on cue. You look over to Ghost eating his burger and chips, “Hey did you remember to take—” You begin to ask.

“Yes, I took the damn pills, mum.” Ghost cut you off, taking a long swig of beer.

“Good.” You unwrap your burger and take a bite.

Gaz can’t help but smirk, “Don’t talk to your mum like that, mate, its disrespectful.” I chides Ghost.

You slide down in your seat a little bit, a bit uncomfortable with the interaction. Had you been taking things too far? Were you being to pushy about everything? Questions started to whirl around in your head.

Not going unnoticed, Gaz placed a hand on your shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “We appreciate you looking after the LT here. He’s a good man, bit daft, and doesn’t tend to take care of himself... so needs someone to light a fire under his arse every now and then.”

You nodded, though it only partially comforted you.

You pick away at your food and sip on your beer, watching the three of them talk among themselves. Its nice to see Ghost more in his element – with his mates – but you couldn’t stop thinking that you were an outsider looking in.

Price let out a low groan as he leaned back in his chair and extended a leg, making himself comfortable like this was his home. “So...” He was looking directly at you. “What’s your appraisal of Simon’s condition. Think he’ll be ready to return to work anytime soon?” He asked.

‘What the fuck am I, his spouse?’ You thought to himself. ‘Or a fucking doctor?’

“Might be good to get him back to work, he’s cantankerous on the best of days.” You huff, shoving several chips into your mouth and chewing.

“So... he’s Ghost...” Gaz mutters, furrowing his brow.

“I swear, mate... keep this up and I’ll throw yer ass out.” Ghost said, actually annoyed at this point. “Ganged up on in my own damn flat.” He growled.

“I’m sorry if –” You started.

Price held up a hand to stop you. “Seems you’re the only one Simon actually listens to. We’re grateful.” He reassured you. “But go on, tell us what you think.”

You gave a shrug, taking another bite of your burger and eating slowly. On one hand, you wanted to make Ghost happy and send him back to work, but you couldn’t stop wondering if he was really ready to return to duty. Or maybe... you just didn’t want this to end. It was nice to always have someone around, even if Ghost walked like his name implied. ‘Gotta put a bell on that fucker.’ You thought with a smirk.

“I don’t know fuck all about military service, but I think, at the very least, he could return to light duties.” You finally managed to confess.

Ghost shifted uncomfortably in his seat. His return to duty hinging on a civilian babysitter.

Price just sat there nodding and caressing his mutton chops.

“I mean... he hasn’t had much opportunity to train, being cooped up in this flat.” You continued. “I think he needs to go back to hitting the gym and adjusting to being back on base and being more regimented... he’s getting a bit... lethargic.” You smirked, casting him a coy look.

“Oh fuck off. You make it sound like I gained two stone and sleep all day.” Ghost grunted. He kicked you foot with his under the table, but there was no edge to either his words, or the kick.

Ghost looked to Price, “You gonna ask Soap his opinion next?” He fired at the man, though his irritation blatantly clear this time. “Speaking of which, where is that idiot Scot?” He inquired.

Price gave Gaz a look, then they both looked at you, then to Ghost.

“I can leave.” You said, starting to stand up.

“No, no... sit back down mate.” Price waved you back into your seat. “Ghost is on leave anyway, so he’s not privy to the details either.” He explained.

“All we can say is that he’s on a recon mission.” Gaz said, his fingers playing at the base of his beer.

“He’ll be back in a couple days. Said he’ll stop by and see ya, then.” Price continued.

“Oh, lovely. Then I’ll have my babysitter and a puppy on my arse.” Ghost let out a throaty chuckle.

You got a little bold, and a bit annoyed by Ghosts incessant need to beat his chest in front of his mates. “Didn’t seem to mind this babysitter sleeping beside you the last few nights.” you said in the most casual, nonchalant tone you could muster. You took a very long swig of beer and just stared the man down.

Price and Gaz stared into the distance for a minute as their minds processed this new information, a mischievous look stirring in their eyes at the revelation.

“Oh you prick.” Ghost began, his body tensing in his seat.

Price arched a brow. "Sharing the bed, eh? Well, well, Simon… didn’t peg you as the cuddly type."

Gaz snorted, “Is it still pegging if its two lads?” he threw into the mix, “...and tell me, does the mask come off for sleepy time?”

Ghost stood up so fast his chair screeched on the floor before toppling over. “Fuck the lot of you.” He hissed, grabbing he beer and making his way to the balcony for a smoke.

“You the big spoon or little spoon?” Price called to him, his chest and shoulders heaving with amusement.

The balcony door opened with a loud slam as the metal connected with the frame, and then was shut with equal enthusiasm.

“Shit... I think I took it too far.” Your voice shook a little. Ghost actually seemed really pissed off this time.

Gaz was shaking his head, “No need to worry about it, mate.” he said with confidence. It was hard to not believe those pretty brown eyes as they stared at you.

“Yeah... if Simon were truly mad at any of us,” Price scratched at his beard, “We’d have been kicked out. The man would have made us leave his space, not stomp off to the balcony for a smoke.”

“Its true that Ghost isn’t used to being on the receiving end of shit-talking,” Gaz continued for them both, “And he’ll never admit it... but he likes being put in his place a bit. He likes being challenged and stumped. And I think he likes you being the one to do it.” There was a smirk tugging at Gaz’s lips. “Only you and Soap seem to have that affect on him, but I think it means more from you because you’re civilian. He doesn’t expect you to have the same ability to banter like his superiors and subordinates.”

Price was still nodding. He inhaled deeply and let it out just as slowly.

“I think he’s just grappling with the fact that you’re family now.” Price finally said. “He’s struggling because he’s no longer alone. He has the one-four-one, and now you. And we’ve all accepted you as a part of the group... like we do all partners and spouses.”

Your heart thumped in your chest and you felt the heat rising in your face. You turned a few shades of red before Price realized what he had said.

“I just mean that we accept anyone who is close to one of our teammates. Simon doesn’t have partners or a spouse, but you the damned closest thing he’s had for as long as I’ve known him.”

That didn’t stave off your feeling of embarrassment, not entirely. You couldn’t deny that, even as grumpy and prickly as the man was, you were attracted to him. Underneath all that armour, both real and emotional, was a good man just wanting to do the right thing.

“That being said... you’ve been sleeping together?”

The change in conversation was like whiplash to you and you found yourself slinking down into your seat again, amusing both Price and Gaz.

“Its not what you think!” You barked.

It didn’t deter either man from eyeing you down, waiting for you to crack like an egg and spill any details.

“He was having a hard time sleeping! Partly due to the wound, partly due to some nightmares he had.” You explained, trying to keep a bit of Ghosts privacy.

“Nightmares?” The question was asked a bit too curiously by Price.

“Seemed to happen when he was more medicated.” Your stomach turned. It was a bit of a fib since it only happened twice, but you didn’t want to dig Ghost a grave.

“When was the last one?” Price continued the interrogation.

You sucked in a breath and held it. Your brain worked to think when the last time he had a nightmare actually was. “Uh...” You muttered. “Its... actually been a while. Maybe two weeks ago?” At least that was the truth.

Price stood up slowly, groaning a bit as his knees popped. “Gonna go have a cigar on the balcony with our boy.”

Price gave his back a stretch before meandering his way to the balcony.

“I hope I didn’t fuck something up...” You practically whispered to Gaz.

He shook his head. “Nah, if anything, you’ve helped Ghosts case in Prices eyes.” His voice was surprisingly soothing. “You just told Price that Ghost is comfortable enough with and around you, to let you be next to him in his most vulnerable state. You make him feel safe, even if the way he shows it is by being a slag.” He snorted. “So... when are you two gonna consummate your relationship?” He winked.

“Fuck off, Gaz.” You laughed in reply.

“That’s the spirit!” He continued to tease, patting you on the shoulder. “See? You’re one of us. But seriously, mate... you’re good for Ghost. We’re happy to have you around almost as much as he is.”

You sat there and gave a meek smile. Its not that you disagreed, it was just hard to wrap your mind that you of all people had wedged yourself between Ghosts armour and his heart.

...and maybe there was a few lingering thoughts about consummation. Who wouldn’t want a big man like him under them?

“Join us for a smoke?” Gaz asked, snapping you back to reality.

You shake your head, “Don’t smoke.”

“Good lad.” He tapped the table and gave you another warm smile before standing. He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and made his way to the balcony. “Enjoy the rest of your burger. We’ll be back in a few. Girl talk... you understand.” He joked.

‘Girl talk. Fucking idiots.’ You shook your head and went back to your meal.