You didn't want to come out from under your bed. Even though the room looked nice, and you hadn't been hurt by the farmer bringing you in, what if he was going to fatten you up for stew? That's what the other bunnies whispered would happen to anyone caught in a farmers garden patch. You also didn't want to come out because you could smell dogs.
Dog hybrids... The other farm hands you'd occasionally spied laying the traps they thought would catch you. You thump your foot in frustration at yourself for getting caught, freezing suddenly when you hear your bedroom door open. The dog smell is even stronger now as two sets of boots appear beside your bed.
"Johnny! John told us to leave em alone for now!" You hear a man's voice scold. British, like Price, but a bit softer.
"Aye, but I've never seen a bunny hybrid up close!" A scottish man whines. Johnny, you assume. "Little bunny? I snuck you some bell peppers. Notice that you like those best." Johnny kneels beside your bed and places down a few slices of bell pepper. You could smell the perfectly ripe vegetables just a foot away from your nose, but you could also smell the two dogs.
"Johnny, leave em alone." The other man huffs, yipping when Johnny nips his ear. "Hey! Do you think that's gonna make them come out?" You could hear a small scuffle breaking out between the two of the dogs, yipping and huffing at each other. You carefully crawl forward, snagging the precious pepper slices in your hands and nibbling away at your treat. You hadn't gotten any cabbage that morning, so you were quite hungry.
"Hey! There you are, bunny!" You squeak nervously when you look up, almost face to face with a grinning Border Collie mix. He had a Mohawk and a tail that was going a mile a minute. "Aww, you're just as cute as I imagined! If you come out more, I'll give you more." Johnny coaxes, showing you the container of pepper slices.
Your nose twitches nervously, wondering if it was worth the risk, but your rumbling stomach decides for you. You slowly crawl out from under the bed, reaching eagerly for the container.
Johnny hands it over, reaching for your ears, which makes you bat him away. "No!! And my name isn't bunny. It's Y/N!" You huff as you nibble away at your breakfast. Johnny pouts at you, making Kyle chuckle at him. Kyle looked like a Burmese Moutain dog, his tail wagging happily as he looked at you.
"You'll have to forgive Johnny. He hates when his herd isn't together." Kyle shrugs, not missing the way you're scrunch your nose a little. Before you can say anything, Price knocks on the door and gives the two a disapproving stare.
"I told you two to wait. You could've spooked em." John scolds, ushering both dogs out of the room. "I see Johnny gave you a snack, huh? Do you eat eggs and toast, too?" John asks as he holds up a plate. You tilt your head at him, sniffing at the plate curiously as he brings it to you. "Johnny didn't pounce on ya, did he? He and Simon get excited around cute little things like you."
You feel your face flush at his words, shaking your head a little as you grab the slice of toast and start nibbling away. "That's good. The other one is Kyle. He's a sweetheart, mostly. When he's in a rut, he can be a little much. You'll be good here, bunny."
"Y/N." You insist, chewing at the hard crust of the bread. You liked that part a lot. John smiles and shakes his head fondly. "I'll be good here for what?" You ask, crossing your arms defensively.
"Well, for companionship, for fruit and vegetable quality checks, and for helping my men during their ruts." Your eyes widen at the last part, shocked by his casual tone. "Oh, don't worry, Y/N, we're gonna take good care of you here, okay?" John coos as he pinches your cheek and points to your eggs. "Try those, and I'll pick out an outfit for you." Price smiles at you and stands up to open your closet.
Because of your standing in front of the camera habit, Price was able to figure out what size clothes you'd likely need when he finally got his hands on you. He picks out a pair of soft panties, and a baby doll dress. Sure, he could pick something more appropriate, but you were too cute for even him to resist.
The toast and eggs were good. It was more filling in your stomach than what you were used to, watching Price as he picked out your clothes. "Can you stand up for me, bunny?" Price coos at you, ignoring the scowl on your face at the nickname. You realize you should feel grateful that Price wasn't going to eat you. Maybe he would if you gave him a hard time, so you sigh and get to your feet. Price carefully gets you dressed.
"Is this soft enough? I've read about bunny hybrids having sensitive skin." Price asks sincerely as he gently adjusts the dress so your tail pokes out.
"Did you order them just for me?" You whisper, rubbing your palms over the soft material. "Are you going to make me into bunny stew?" John's eyes widen in surprise, gently gripping your shoulders so he can look you in the eye.
"What!? Bunny stew? I'm not going to kill and eat you, Y/N." Price says sincerely as he places a small kiss on your forehead. "Now, I should introduce you to Simon. He's been excited to meet you."
Simon is going to be an Anatolian Shepherd hybrid. Big doggie, all of em are big puppies, but they have needs too. It's like payback for all the veggies stolen
Pairing: Poly? Team 141 x Female reader / Female reader x her mental health
Content Warning: breaking and entering, kidnapping, pregnancy, mental health issues may be touched on, returning home, tear-jerking levels of nostalgia for possibly wrong reasons. Certain implication of a certain Austrian.
Words: 797
Masterlist - Prequel - Part One - Part Two - Part Three - Part Four - Part Five - Part Six - Part Seven - Part Eight - Part Nine
Supernatural AU - Poem
Credit for Dividers: @cafekitsune + @strangergraphics
Summary: “Welcome home, Maus.”
You were sent home on mandatory leave, the empty house feeling colder than when you left it the first time. It felt like you were always on edge, waiting for a lecture. Even though your parents are long gone now and you're thirty now. You go to leave a few times. Though, you liked it better when you avoided having to go back home. Preferring back to back missions than facing the thought of going back home. The doctor forced you to, shaking his head and hands on his hips as he told you it was good for your long term health. Tapping into your fear of failure.
You anticipate your mother coming to the front door, but you know she never will, never again. The clock still at 3 o'clock in the morning when your mother passed from a heart attack in her sleep. You remember your father waking to her lifeless form, a form that used to be so full of love for life. Gone. Long before she reached fifty years old. Your father went on without her, turning to alcohol for comfort of the loss. It was to no one's surprise, he had passed from a broken heart two weeks after.
You sat on your old bed, dust flicking upwards as your legs pressed into the covers. In a twisted sense you still loved them, cared for them and wish they were there. Even though they were toxic parents. You loved them. The neglect, the threats of abandonment, everything about it. You know you shouldn't. Yet you still do.
It wasn't your fault you looked so much like your mother, her hair, her eyes, her smile and her mannerisms. They were hers, just as much as they were yours. The older you grew, the uncannier it became and the uncannier it became. The more your father seemed to hold disdain towards you.
You were a constant reminder of the woman he lost. You often wondered if he blamed you for her death. If he thought, you were the reason she had a heart attack. You had been sixteen at the time, a rebellious teenager who had been out past curfew. Your father had found you drunk, stumbling home, and had yelled at you, your mother trying to intervene. The next morning, she was gone.
A stupid thought, you know. A thought you can't hope to let go of, no matter how much you push forward. The guilt had gnawed at you for years, and it had only worsened when your father had died. You had felt like a failure, a burden, a constant reminder of the pain they had endured.
It was like most of it never changed from when you were young. Frozen. In stasis. Paused during a time. A moment in your life when things in your life started, spiralling into something so wrong. As you cleaned out the home, windows open, airing the entire house out. Like it was holding its breath for the past few years or more.
It was after the furniture was taken out, after the walls and floors were sanded, that the house felt emptier and less like a home. More of a tomb of what was. You were hand painting images your parent's wouldn't have let you do. Though, they weren't here anymore to tell you off.
Starting off small with small birds, flowers and animals in corners, after a one-night stand you found out you were pregnant. You debated telling them for a while, you knew you couldn't put it off forever. You called your mother's phone just to hear her voicemail message. As the days marched forward like sand dripping inside an hourglass.
The phone snatched from your fingers, a cold hand closing around your wrist. You pulled your hand away from the stranger, or at least you tried to. "Let go of me." you shouted. "Whoever you're looking for isn't alive anymore. My mother and my father are dead. If you're here for them. Then you are fourteen years too late. They have been cremated, and their ashes are buried with the redwood trees."
You assumed he was there to rob you. "I have nothing of value. Nothing." you told him.
The man laughed, a low, guttural sound that sent chills down your spine. "I'm not here for your parents," he said, his voice thick with a foreign accent. "I'm here for you."
In any other circumstance, those words would be a delight to hear. Given the situation now. It just sent chills up your spine and made your palms sweaty. Fear gnawed at you, gripped your throat and stolen the breath from your lungs.
He learned over, whispered into your ear, his hot breath against your neck and face, “Welcome home, Maus.”
Fuck being a pixie for right now i just had an amazing idea for an oc for the monster au of call of duty.
A manticore shifter/hybrid. Pretending to be completely human. Acting as a medic for team 141.
(Its also kind of an oc for a poly team 141 fic called a hybrid’s emotions. Dont judge, its taking forever for em to update (cause they are rewriting it) and i started day dreaming which lead to this)
This manticore shifter kind of ignores/stays away from the team quite abit to avoid being caught as a manticore. This is because manticores are typically a kill on sight creature.
The team is all really into her. She is strong, level headed, and doesn’t really take any bullshit. She however tends to ignore their advances. She doesn’t want to get close and reveal she is a manticore.
In this fic/au/oc universe manticores are solitary and do NOT take kindly to being ordered around. This is evident in Ember’s tendency to nearly bite off people’s heads when they order her around. She listens to very few people and was infact assigned to Price’s team as a way of disciplining her.
Her thing is she refuses to listen to anyone weaker/lesser than her. She joined at the same time as price lost his wing and ghost got ghosted. She saw their strength and figured she could trust them to lead her properly.
This was also where she got her code name ember.
Typically she is a medic. She avoids fighting. Not because she cant fight or because of some pacifist reason. She has a hard time holding back and controlling her strength.
She helped patch price up on the scene and haul him back. Meaning she had to go in and retrieve him. Price had temporarily passed out as a result of losing so much blood. Ghost was incoherent and chasing the man who buried him alive after tearing through a good chunk of the people there.
Meaning ember was unsupervised and surrounded with a a downed teammate. So she let loose. When price came to she had burnt the place down to embers and was in the process of crushing a man’s skull. This was how she earned her callsign.
That was also how price came to realize how much she was holding back and why. He never pushes her when she refuses to spar with teammates. He lets her keep her distance as long as she listens to orders.
Summary: You've made strides with the team in the short 2 months you've been with them. All except Price. While he appreciates your presence and accepts your meals and advice, he will not accept your comfort. It's starting to take a toll on him that only you can really pick up on, and now it's time to order around the captain.
"Price said he wants to have dinner in his office." Kyle states when you ask where he is, taking his plate from your hands eagerly. You keep yourself from thumping your foot, and take a deep breath.
"Okay... I'll bring him a plate real quick. You boys eat up." You encourage, knowing that if you didn't say something; they would sit at the table waiting until you sat and ate with them. You load up a plate, fill up a glass of water, and pile it onto a tray, carrying it the short distance to Price's office and carefully knocking on the door. "It's me, I've got food." You call to him.
"Come in." Price grunts, and when you open up the door, you're half ready to drag him to bed. It's clear he'd been sitting at the desk for hours. He had deep eye bags, his back hunched over the computer, and an angry furrow in his brows. He was not a well-fed, well-rested wolf, and that was upsetting your instincts.
"Here you go, hun." You soften up your tone as you set the tray down and put a hand over the computers keyboard. He looks up at you, his nose scrunched like he was about to snarl, but he decided against it. "I expect a clean plate and an empty cup when I come back. After dinner, you have one more hour of work before I come and get you."
"Get me? For what?" He snaps back at you, his exhaustion making him snappy and annoyed. You smile down at him and carefully raise a hand to rest on his head.
"For a shower, a cuddle, and a good night's sleep. You fight me on it, and I'll show you why they trusted me with this team. I may be a foot shorter than you, but I can carry you." You warn and gently, you scratch beind his ears. "You're a very hard worker, Captain. I really admire that about you. But if you keep working like this, one day your body will take a break for you. I'm here to make sure that doesn't happen."
You didn't know if it was the scratching behind the ears or the gentle tone you affectionately warned him with; but Price wags his tail softly and nods along to your words.
"Fine. I'll eat." He grumbles after a moment, his tail going still once he realized he was wagging it. You smile wider and nod, heading for the door. You knew that when you came back to bring him to bed, he would fight you, but that was a problem for later.
"Kyle, two cookies only! You'll get sick if you eat too many." You scold as you slide the plate of cookies back from Kyle's eager hands. "Wait a second for your stomach to settle, okay?" You sooth, noticing the wide puppy eyes he gave you. "Johnny, time for your antibiotics and pain killers."
You turn just in time to see Johnny trying to sneak out of the kitchen, a long whine leaving his lips. "No! I hate the painkillers! My shoulder feels fine." Johnny protests, yipping when Simon grabs him gently to keep him from leaving. "Si! Come on, that's not fair!"
"Johnny, I know the painkillers are annoying, but you've still got healing to do. I let you go without them one time, and your shoulder kept you up all night." You get the two pills Johnny needs, bringing them over to the pouting scottish man. "Take them, and I'll get you another cookie."
"Fine."
Price groans as he stretches his arms above his head, back cracking just enough to make the ache go away. He knew you were on your way back to his office, and his tail thrashed slightly.
He appreciates what you do for his team, but he doesn't need that level of care. That level of vulnerability made him nervous. You knock on his door, not bothering to wait for an answer before you enter. "I'm not done working."
"You are for today." You say simply as you walk over to his desk. "All of your stuff saved and backed up?" You ask casually, your nose twitching almost anxiously. Price couldn't put his finger on why, glancing at his laptop and nodding. "Good!" You slam the laptop shut and step back from the desk.
"Hey!" He shoots to his feet, and you rush out of the office at lightning speed. He's hot on your heels, chasing you through the base, outside, then back inside, barking and nipping his teeth at you anytime he gets close. You were laughing, laughing!! And it spurs Price to run even faster.
You round a corner, shoes slipping on the floor and giving Price just enough time to catch up with you and tackle you to the ground. He doesn't hurt you, always aware of his strength, but he lets out a victorious bark as he pins you to the floor.
"Gotcha!" He snarls playfully, nipping his teeth in your face. You beam up at him, chuckling softly between panting breaths.
"Good job. And look, we're right at your barrack door." You smirk, looking to your left. Price scrunched his face, looking up to see that you were right. You hadn't slipped at all. You had planned your own take down.
"You..." He stares back down at you with wide eyes. "You tricked me!"
"Yes, I did. And I made you have fun at the same time." You explain softly, and Price finally let's up on pinning you down. "Now, it's bedtime." You say, hopping up to your feet and watching Price stand up. Price scrunched his nose at you, but he had to accept defeat, looking at the door than back at you.
"Will you stay?"
That surprised you a little, your ears perking up at the idea of the team captain finally allowing himself to rest.
"Of course I will. Come on. Let's get you ready for bed." You pick out his sleep clothes while he showers and wait until he gets back to go change into yours. You make sure not to take too long, Price hasn't had a full night's sleep in God knows how long.
When you get back to his barrack, he's sitting up in his bed, eyes watching the door for you to come back. The moment he sees you, his wagging tail gets just a bit faster. You smile fondly as you walk into the room.
"Hun, you could've laid down while you - WOAH!" The moment you were close enough, Price scoops you up and rolls over in his bed, snuggling you to his chest. You wiggle slightly to get comfortable, giggling like mad when Price sniffs your ears and nuzzles them. "Well, okay then." You giggle, getting comfortable as he pulls you closer.
The room falls into a peaceful silence. You wonder after a few minutes if Price has fallen asleep, when he gently nuzzles your ear again.
"Sorry for fighting you so much." He whispers into the darkness, his forehead resting on your shoulder.
"You don't need to be sorry, hun. I'll be here, no matter how much you snap your teeth at me." You assure, patting his arm and giving it a squeeze. "Go to sleep, now. It's time for you to rest." You whisper, and Price nods.
You smile to yourself, waiting until his breath evens and his snoring begins. You knew with time, you'd be able to get the team to rest more, to cuddle more, and to play more without having to trick or coax them. For now, though, you let your eyes shut and drift to sleep, knowing that tonight each of your men was well looked after.
If you saw this chapter go up earlier and then disappear, I'm sorry!!! Sometimes, when I edit a draft, it changes to publish before I can notice, and then it publishes. Sorrryyyy I hope yall enjoyed
Summary: You miss your pack and want to be near them again. This mission separates you from them for a month, and it leaves you a little restless. You're excited when they come home and so are they! Until they get a wiff of you, and they aren't too happy with your new smell.
You couldn't help but pace around when the base felt empty like this. Sure, there were some newer recruits that milled around, being instructed by other officers. They weren't your pack, your team to take care of, though, so you didn't do so.
You busied yourself ordering new curtains for the living room area, rearranging furniture to a cozier layout, and spent almost every day walking around the inside and outside of base to find something to do. No one to cook for or give medication to. No one to chat with or soothe.
To make matters worse, you had used the last of your favorite strawberry shortcake body oil. You already ordered two more bottles, but until the package arrived, you were stuck using a spare pineapple and coconut one. You sometimes sat with Laswell, who was silently praying that the team returned a little sooner. She loved talking with you, but she could also see how anxious you were without anything to do.
The nurses helped you by letting you volunteer with the rookies who needed someone to sit and talk with them. They all enjoyed your presence, and you made a mental promise to visit the infirmary at least once a week to visit anyone feeling down in recovery.
The month passed painfully slow. Even though you were counting down the days of the teams return, you were caught off guard by they get back four days earlier. You were walking around the inside of the base, heading toward the living room when two arms wrap around your waist and lift you off the ground.
"Jesus!" You yelp, defensively kicking a leg back for a second only to hear a familiar chuckle. "Price! You're back!" The excitement in your tone dies down immediately when Price sets you down and growls a little in your ear.
"What are you wearing!? Why do you smell like that!?" Price interrogates as he sniffs at your ears and face. He could see your ears drooping, nose twitching like crazy as you listened to his words.
"Like what?? I mean, I ran out of my regular body oil, but -" Johnny buries his nose into your neck, also having snuck up on you for a snuggle. "Johnny!" You scold harshly when he nips your neck a little too hard for your liking and snarls in your ear. You swat his forehead and force his head away from you despite the dejected whine he gives you.
"Sorry, Y/N. I know we're being mean... But you smell different. You don't smell like us or like your usual smell. Don't like it." Johnny whimpers, his ears low and tail tucked between his legs.
"Well, don't nip at me so hard, okay? Your teeth are very sharp." You warn as Price starts rubbing his head back and forth across your shoulder. "Are you scenting me!?"
"We have too, Y/N. You gotta smell right." Price murmurs, and that's all you get out before Kyle and Simon descend on you with furious sniffing and huffing.
Almost an hour later, Price had placed an order for your body oil in bulk. You'd also been sandwiched between all four of your pack mates, who spent the whole time scenting you. Your bed wasn't meant to hold all of you, but Johnny and Kyle fought over who got to groom your hair and ears, while Price and Simon nuzzle and rub their faces against your tummy and shoulders.
There were a few nips, which you didn't scold unless they were a little too rough. You couldn't help but grin and giggle the entire process. Not only was your team back, but they had seeked you out first. They were acting like a little pack of puppies, whining and pouting at their den mothers.
"Alright! Boys!" You plea through some giggles, which gets all of their focus on you. "You all haven't eaten properly in a month. I need to make you dinner." You insist as you try to wriggle yourself from their grip.
"We'll order something!" Johnny insisted immediately, and Kyle nods eagerly beside you.
"Please? Just tonight?" John asks quietly as he rests his chin on your stomach. You huff a little, but you could hear the soft thumping of tails and you couldn't fight the four sets of puppy eyes facing you.
"Okay! Just tonight. I also re did the living room to look more like a den. We can eat there tonight. Like a sleepover." You offer, watching as Simon reluctantly pulls himself away from the cuddle puddle to grab some take out menus for everyone to look over and choose food from. When he returns, he drops himself down happily onto the bed.
CRACK!
The bed sunk down immediately, the room falling completely silent for a long moment. "And here I thought I'd never break a bed frame.." You joke, slapping a hand over your mouth after. Johnny barks out a quick laugh, and everyone soon joins in. You were laughing so hard you couldn't take a breath, letting out a snort when you tried to take in a breath.
That sent Kyle back into a fit of giggles, spurring Simon's loud rumbling laugh. After five minutes of laughing and ten minutes of trying to pry yourselves out of the beds wreckage, you were standing above the sucken mattress.
"Well. I guess we will be having a sleepover in the new den, huh?" You tease as you turn to Simon. He looks a little guilty, his ears lowered as he nuzzles your head slightly. "Oh, Simon, don't worry about it, okay? I'll get a new bed frame soon. Right now, it's time to order food and watch a movie."
"And more cuddle pile?" Kyle asks hopefully, pressing his nose against your shoulder and looking up at you.
"After you all take a shower. We all stink now. I promise I won't use my other body oil." You swear, making all four wolves grumble happily.
I wanted to tie back the original drabble I wrote for this into an actual chapter, and I needed some fluff before I do introduce a little bit of angst... maybe. I'm sensitive so it might not happen lmao. Hope yall enjoy :]
Summary: Simon still has problems with food, being comforted, and being around you. You aren't a bad person, and you take care of everyone so well. He isn't sure why that makes him feel so uncomfortable around you. Cw: light mentions of disordered eating patterns: both binging and starving.
Simon has a complicated relationship with comfort. He has a complicated relationship with how you make him feel. You hadn't done anything wrong, never overstepped, or pressured him. For some reason, that is what made his hackles raise.
The way you made his puppy instincts rise, it scared him. There weren't many good memories tied to him when he was a young pup. He knew you were different. He could feel it in the way you sat silently with him, never pressing for some conversation to break the noise. The way you let Johnny groom your ears when he was restless during healing and needed to look after someone and not be looked after.
You showed up for them, and without even asking, settled exactly where they needed you to slowly get them to take care of themselves.
Simon still kept his tail from wagging too hard, still trained a little too long, ate too little, and slept only the "needed" amount. There was a part of him pressing you, testing you. Leaving food on his plate to see if you'd snap at him for being ungrateful or refusing to stop working out for the day after a two hour session.
But you didn't snap at him, and you continued to wait for him without demanding any change. That terrified him.
"Simon, can you help me make dinner tonight?"
Simon looks up from his desk, tail wagging slightly at the question. One of the things you two had been able to bond over was cooking. You knew a lot about nutrition and about how to feed people, and Simon had his.... issues with food.
It was better living on base and with his mates, but he'd never learned how to properly feed himself. He ate too much, or too little. He would binge for a whole night and then starve himself for a week as punishment.
Kyle, John, and Johnny were able to help him with this, at least a little. Before you, none of them had a good relationship with food. He didn't respond to your question out loud, just standing up from his desk and following after you to the kitchen. Through you, he was learning how to cook, and how to eat. He never passed up on that.
The only time the two of you spoke was to talk about cooking. Passing seasoning, explaining cooking temperatures, and knife techniques for the thinnest onions. You showed him how to slice potatoes on the mandolin, warning him not to nic his fingers, and began seasoning some steaks.
Cheeses sat on the counter, ready to be grated for cheese sauce, and Brussel sprouts were cooking in the oven. "What are we making?" Simon asks after a few potatoes have been cut nice and thin and placed into a bowl of cold water.
"Steak, Brussel sprouts, and scallop potatoes. My mom made this recipe when it started to get cold out. The potatoes, I mean. I eat meat every now and then, just not my favorite." You explain and give him a small smile. "Do you know how to make cheese sauce?" Simon shakes his head no. "Oh, perfect, I can teach you!"
You got out two graters, getting the potatoes on some towels to dry while you and Simon shredded the cheese. Simon felt that strange stir in his gut. Anxiety and appreciation. You never questioned why he didn't know certain foods or ridicule him for not knowing the basics of cooking temperatures. You simply taught him. It felt safe. Simon wasn't used to safe.
"Si, take a deep breath." He blinks down at you, eyes wide and ears twitching nervously. "You're holding your breath. Breath." You pat his chest firmly, and he takes a deep inhale, shoulders slumping down when he sighs. "What are you feeling right now?"
"Nervous. You make me nervous." Simon admits quietly, taking another deep breath when you tap his chest again. Your brow furrows a second, then smooths over.
"I understand. Am I overstepping at all?" You pull your hand back from his chest, but he grasps your wrist and gently moves it back. He shakes his head no. "Okay. That's good... Simon, you are safe to feel that way around me. You are safe with me in general, okay? Shit." You place a hand on his shoulder and turn him to face you. "That's what's making you nervous, isn't it?"
"I think so. I don't know. I keep waiting for you to snap at me. To get angry or annoyed with me." He clears his throat and lowers his eyes from yours. "Sometimes I think you're irritated at having to deal with me. I'm not as easy to get along with."
"I really wish you wouldn't think of me that way, Simon." His eyes snap to yours again, finding that you looked genuinely hurt by his words. "I wish you wouldn't think of yourself like that either. I think about how when I cook with you, I get to teach you things I learned the hard way. Or how I can cook in silence with you, that's really relaxing sometimes. To know I'm not going to have to talk, that we can just work side by side." You were surprised to feel a lump building in your throat, blinking away some tears as Simon squeezes your wrist softly.
"I didn't know you thought like that." He admits quietly, ears lowering and tail wagging softly.
"I care about you, Simon!" You were grinning just slightly, grabbing his arms and playfully shaking him. "You are more than what your negative thoughts tell you!" You insist, taking a deep breath to calm yourself down. "I'm sorry I didn't notice sooner, but I really want to help you whenever you feel like this. You are hurting yourself by thinking so badly about yourself."
Simon lowers his head, resting his chin on top of your head and taking in a slow, deep breath. "Thank you, Y/N." He murmurs, nuzzling the top of your head with his nose.
"Thank you, Simon." You give his arms a squeeze, pressing a soft kiss to his knuckles and inspecting his fingertips for any cuts. "Good job not cutting your fingers. I've sliced myself a few times on the mandolin before." You chuckle, taking the bowl of grated cheese toward the stove. "Now it's time to fold in the cheese."
Dinner was fantastic. Simon was wagging his tail happily, maybe not at full speed, but he wasn't holding himself back as much. Conversations flow smoothly, as Price brings up a team deployment coming up in a week. You know you shouldn't, but you still feel anxious that when they leave, your progress will be undone.
Simon notices the way you tap your foot anxiously, and your nose twitches a little. So he offers to help clean the kitchen with you after dinner.
"You going to be okay when we leave?" He probes as he drys off a plate you handed him.
"Yeah, I'll be worried about you all, but I'm pretty good at making a routine." You answer honestly. "Just be careful out there."
"We will. We always will." Simon promises making you smile at him, nudging him playfully.
"Good. Now, since you helped me, you get to have the first slice of the cheesecake in the fridge." You announce, shutting off the sink and heading to the fridge.
"Do you make desserts to bribe us to take out pills?" He teases, and you turn to him with a half guilty face.
"I couldn't bring my dehydrator with me, and I'm all out of jerky, so... yeah." You admit with a shrug as you set down the cake and got down some plates.
Simon made a mental note to ask Price about buying you one, standing to happily accept the giant slice of cheesecake you served him. Cake first, dehydrator request later.
I feel like Simon would have a very hard time accepting love. The feeling of safety of someone who genuinely does not want to hurt him isn't familiar. This is giving very much: "I can fix him, but I'm gonna meet him where his at." At least I hope it does
Summary: Gaz and Soap get sent on a deployment, and that leaves your caretaker instincts a little frazzled. You haven't made enough progress in the week you've been with them, and your worried about your new team. When the two men return, you know you have to be there for them, even if they try to chase you off.
"You okay, Y/N?"
You almost laugh at the irony that you, the caretaker, is being cared for, but you don't. You know that you've been cleaning like crazy. Almost every surface in the base was sprakling clean and dust free but you still didn't feel less stressed.
"I know your team is very capable. I don't doubt that... I doubt I've made enough progress with Kyle and Johnny. With all of you. When they come back I'm worried I won't be able to help them." You unload in one breath, turning to face the captain.
"You've been able to help us so far. You've gotten Simon to gain five pounds and Kyle is finally taking his medication everyday." Price praises, hoping that would soothe your nerves. Your nose twitches slightly and you shake your head.
"Thank you, Sir. I am just nervous. Coming back from an operation is a little different than what I've been doing." You sigh as you look around the living room again. "I think this space is stressing me out too. Wolves need some spaces that are darker and cozy." You explain and finally look back at Price. "I'm sorry-"
"You've got nothing to apologize for. If I'm honest, it's nice to have someone who cares about my team the way I do. I stress about them the same way." Price admits and smiles at you reassuringly. "What can we do to make this space more den like?" He asks
You know he's saying that to distract you. And it works, your brain coming up with a list of needs for the den, and letting your worries fall away. For now.
"Get the fuck away from me!" Something thumps hard agaisnt the wall, and you step inside the room as two nurses rush out. Kyle growls at you instantly, his ears pinned back. "Go away! Out!" He orders, standing protectively in front of Johnny.
"I'm not leaving. Not until I can look over Johnny." You state firmly and you carefully shut the door behind you. "No one else will come in until either of you say so." You assure quietly and look at the supplies the nurses had wheeled into the room.
You almost thump your foot in irritation, but hold it back, looking back at Kyle. He snarls at you again, looking ready to kick the cart over so you grab it and move it away.
"Tell me what's wrong, honey. Where is Johnny hurt?" You encourage softly as you move the cart behind you and out of sight. Kyle stares at you, his tail lashing slightly as he looks down at Johnny.
"He got shot in the shoulder. The bullets still in there and those nurses can't take it out without hurting him." Kyle explains sharply, glaring at the shut door.
"I'm not one of those nurses, Kyle." You assure softly, which gets his attention back to you. "I am not going to hurt Johnny. Not on purpose. Can I take a look?" You ask as you take a step forward. Kyle growls defensively, ready to tell you no, but Johnny whines weakly.
"Don't want anyone but them, Ky... Please let them help." Johnny whines, nudging Kyle's hand with his forehead. Kyle whines back as he lowers his head to Johnny's for a small nuzzle.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I made you wait." Kyle apologizes immediately as he moves out of your way. You breath a small sigh of relief, wheeling the cart over so you could treat the wound.
You did not want to dig a bullet out of him when Kyle was defensively watching your every move, but you had no choice. "Try not to tense your muscles. Hold Kyle's hand and squeeze it tight with your free hand, okay?" You encourage, and within a few minutes, you have the bullet dislodged and set aside. Johnny grits his teeth throughout it, looking at you with wide, nervous eyes.
"Johnny, this is going to sting pretty bad. Hold onto Kyle's hand. When it's all clean, I will put a numbing agent over it and pack it properly." You explain as you clear the area around the wound of extra blood. Johnny whimpers nervously at you, and your heart aches at the sight of tears prickling his eyes.
"Look at me, Johnny. I've got you." Kyle encourages, cradling the injured mans face to keep eye contact with him. "Deep breath, okay?" He encourages and once Johnny takes a slow deep breath in, you begin cleaning the wound.
"FUCK!" Johnny cries out, trying to jerk away from you but you'd already anticipated that. You had pinned the arm down carefully, making sure he couldn't pull away from you but he wouldn't hurt himself in his struggle. "Y/N! Let me go! Fuckin' hurts!" Johnny sobs weakly, eyes screwed shut in pain.
"Let it out, Johnny." You encourage, knowing that this reaction comes from forcing down instincts. No wonder they were so against any medical care. Being looked after brought out a vunerability that none of the team felt safe enough to express. Tears, whimpering, and general 'puppy' behavior that probably wasn't accepted in the military.
Kyle grumbles quietly, eyes flicking over to you but he let's you keep working, pressing a kiss to Johnny's forehead and hushing him softly. "You're okay, baby. I'm here, and Y/N is almost done." He comforts him as best as he can, and you make quick work of cleaning the wound.
Once it was clean, you apply the antibacterial ointment onto the wound that you knew would numb the area. You bandage the wound and ease back from the two wolf men, moving the cart away and getting ready to leave the room.
"Don't go!" Johnny sobs weakly as he pulls his head from Kyle's hands and staring at you with tear filled eyes. "Please stay... No nurses!" He pleas and Kyle looks up at you desperately. He wants nothing more than for his mate to calm down, to relax and rest up after the injury he recieved.
"I'll stay. Don't worry, I'm right here." You soothe, and climb into the bed with Johnny and Kyle. Kyle grabs you and sets you on Johnny's lap before almost laying on top you to keep you sandwhiched between them. Johnny calms down almost immediately when you and Kyle settle your combined weights onto his chest, letting you wipe his tears from his face.
"I'm sorry I growled at you." Kyle quietly whimpers against your shoulder, his tail wrapping around your waist. "Thank you for helping him."
"Never feel sorry for protecting your team." You assure as you turn to him, taking his chin in your hand. "It may take a long time for you to let that guard down. I will be here, no matter how long that takes." You explain as you press a soft kiss to his forehead. "You did such an amzing job protecting Johnny, hun. Don't apologize."
Kyle's eyes fill slightly with tears, and he quickly hides his face back in your shoulder. You let him, turning your attention to Johnny, who was now playing with your ears. "Soft." Johnny mutters, looking like he was ready to sleep now that the numbing was taking effect.
"Mmmhmm. Like a stuffed animal." You chuckle at him, letting his gently squeeze and stroke your floppy ears. It felt soothing, you loved it when people would pet your ears, your eyes shutting in relaxation. You know Johnny's fallen asleep when his hands slow to a stop, one hand still holding onto your ear like a life line.
You huff a small smile, wondering if Kyle would be able to help you get your ear free when you hear him snoring against your shoulder. Both of them were fast asleep, cuddling you close as they finally got some rest after their long deployment.
Some people would be annoyed by being pinned between the two, admittedly smelly men, but you coudln't keep the smile of your face. They let you clean the wound, soothe some fears, and now they were sleeping! With you cuddled between them!
You sigh contently and let your eyes fall shut. If you were going to be stuck here, you might as well get some sleep.
Price watches from the rooms window, his tail wagging as he sees his men getting some well deserved rest. He makes a mental note to tell you how much of a feat what you accomplished was. He watches just a bit longer, before heading back toward his office, with a sense of satisfaction and relief in his chest.
So happy with this chapter, I hope yall enjoy. I can't wait to write more love and fluff for the boys. They deserve soft treatment and snuggles. Sugar, spice, and all things nice :]
Summary: Shopping with the team is an adventure, but it helps you understand foods they like, foods they want to try, and foods they lack in. After a very big haul, you expect all the wolves to leave the kitchen so you can cook. One pack member stays behind, though, wanting to get to know you.
You hadn't expected the whole team to come with you and Ghost the next day, but sure enough there they all were at leave time. The store was thankfully pretty empty since it had just opened. You had a list you wanted to complete. One good thing about having all of them with you was ordering them to different isles for items instead of running around yourself.
The only one who didn't want to stray far from you was Ghost. "You're tallest, which is good. You can grab all the stuff on high shelves." Was the task you assigned him, and he waited eagerly for you to ask him for stuff.
"What vegetables do you guys eat?" You ask as you scan the produce section, looking at the frozen vegetables you'd already picked out. Extras for you.
"Umm.. Lettuce for sandwiches sometimes?" Ghost offers, shyly lowering his ears when you give him a raised brow. "We don't really eat vegetables."
"We'll work on that. I can make pasta sauce with tons of veggies in it, and it's really good." You state, asking him to get you some bags for the vegetables and picking out some good tomatoes.
You knew Ghost came back because he sniffs the top of your head happily, nose nuzzling into one of your ears. "Smell good." He grunts, tail wagging slightly.
"Thank you, hun." You hum as you take the bag from him. He nuzzles your ear again, rumbling softly at you in contentment. "Hey now... No growling." You tease him just as Soap and Gaz come back to the cart with three packs of chicken breast and a giant log of ground beef. "You guys go through a lot of protein, no surprise there." You noted aloud, watching them pile everything into the cart.
"Can we get cookie dough?" Kyle asks, pointing toward the refrigerated section of the store. Simon nods beside you, looking down at you with borderline puppy dog eyes.
"The premade stuff? That stuff is good, but I can make some homemade cookies that are much better." You insist as you head toward the baking isle. Price was the last to find you all, holding two gallons of milk, some heavy cream, and a few boxes of butter.
"Is that everything? Because if we get anything else, we're going to need a second cart." You chuckle, looking at the huge collection of items in the cart.
"That should be enough. If we need something else, we can come back tomorrow." Price assures, and he notices how close each of the men stood by you. Three big wolf men who look at you like their den mother, and Price couldn't help but feel the same.
"I'll have breakfast in half an hour, so you guys can begin training. I promise I'll make bigger breakfasts after this." You explain after getting help unloading the giant load of groceries. "Does anyone want something specific?" You offer, but the kitchen is empty except for you and Johnny.
"Hi hun! Do you want something to snack on?" You offer up, going to grab a bag of jerky. Soap shakes his head while looking at you with something you couldn't put your finger on. He wasn't angry with you. He just seemed cautious. "Do you want to ask me something?" You inquire softly, which makes his ears perk up.
"How come we couldn't be with Simon yesterday? I don't get that, and it's not fair I couldn't be there for my mate." Johnny fires back at you, the words tumbling out rapidly before he could try and stop them. "I'm sorry, I know I sho -"
"I want you to ask me questions, Soap. Especially if I am over stepping boundaries when it comes to your pack dynamic." You cut him off, catching his eyes so you could smile at him reassuringly. "If I do something that makes you uncomfortable, or over steps, I'd rather you tell me."
"Okay, so, why couldn't I be in the room?"
"Because your comfort is different than mine. You're his mate, which means you two have a bond and emotional connection that I don't. That lack of connection makes a lack of pressure. There's no worry that I won't care for him afterward, that I would leave him." You stop placing down bacon strips to look at Johnny.
"I know you would never do that to Simon." You assure him since you don't want him to feel attacked. "Simon knows that too, but sometimes there's no room for logic, just the fear you're feeling." You contine, slipping the tray into the oven and getting open your carton of eggs.
"Why do we all feel like puppies around you?" Was his next question after a few moments. Maybe your answer had been good enough.
"I'm not sure, actually. Among hybrids, I've heard that bunnies and wolves become friends like cheetahs and dogs." You offer, knowing that you probably could do some research about the topic laters.
"Cheetahs and dogs?" Johnny asks, head tilting curiously.
"Yeah, Cheetahs are really anxious animals, so they get paired with dogs when at zoos. The dogs soothe anxiety, and the cheetah would protect the dog if needed. That's kinda the same here. I give you soft, safe care that you wouldn't normally allow yourself, and you all keep me safe." You ramble, pouring your eggs into a hot pan.
"You're not even afraid of Ghost. How could we protect you?" Johnny teases, which makes you laugh and lets any tension that would've been in the kitchen fade away. "I'm sorry if I was so distant with you." He continues, his tail wagging when you give him a genuine smile.
"Oh, don't worry about that. I'm here to help, which means giving you space when you need it." You reassure him as you started pulling out bread for toast. "Now, who likes toast and who doesn't? I'm going to need you to tell me what food everyone likes." You insist and now Johnny's tail was wagging almost full speed.
Talk about his pack? His mates? Gladly!
By the time you were plating breakfast, brewing coffee, and taking it to the dining room, you know that everyone likes medium rare stake except for Price who likes it rare. Kyle likes his cookies soft and basically unbaked, Simon did, too, but Price and Johnny love crunchy cookies. Spicy food was a no-go for everyone.
"Thank you for keeping me company while I cook, Soap. Can you get everyone down here for breakfast?" You ask, offering him a cooked piece of bacon as a treat for the morning. Johnny nods eagerly, nipping your fingers playfully as he took the bacon before dashing down the hall and out of sight.
Now, if you could find a pen and paper to write down everyone's preferences. Otherwise, you'd be constantly bothering Johnny for confirmation about one of them. Considering how much he lit up when talking about them, maybe the best way to bond with the scottish Wolfman was to talk about his mates with him.
You'd test that theory later, hearing the rushing footsteps of Kyle and Johnny racing each other to the dining room.
