And I'm split in half, but that'll have to do.

Danny ✉ text all underground:

Jess wasn't sure how much longer she could stand not having him. His lips trailed down her jawline to her neck, his hands - oh my god, his hands - were everywhere else. Intense desire and insatiable longing hit her in waves, reminding her that she was alive. That she could feel like this (even though she was pretty sure she'd never quite felt like this) again. After everything she had done, all the destruction she had caused, that she had been responsible for... There was still hope. There was still a chance to stand in the sun. And all the better if that was with Ryan fuckin' Mitchell. Jess gasped as he picked her up, on his feet almost faster than she'd have been. She wrapped her legs around him with ease. "Mm, I... Can't remember," she giggled as he continued to kiss her neck. She couldn't have sex with Ryan Mitchell in the middle of this room... could she? "Okay, okay. I remember, I'm just down the hall, on the left-," she said, flashing a grin, "If we make it." Jess could have them there faster, but she didn't want to leave his iconic arms at a time like this. He carried her out the room, leaving the mess they'd made behind them.

If Robbie Wilson could have chosen when his untimely death would occur, he would have chosen to succumb to it the moment Jess sat down next to Ryan. Instead, he had not only lived through their defilement of this communal room, but he had witnessed it first hand. Whereas Robbie's presence anywhere was normally hard to ignore, the pair of them had certainly made him feel uncharacteristically invisible. He had begged God to please show him mercy as his presence had been remarkably overlooked by the crazed rabbits in the midst of their debauchery. For a non-believer, Robbie relied heavily on unanswered prayers. No, God did not smile upon Robbie on this day, and Robbie could not look away no matter how hard he tried. He'd seen Ryan's hands, Jess's lips - their bodies - but they had not seen him.

"Thanks man," Danny grinned back as he brushed the flour from his cheek. He carried on making the next batch with ease, barely having to look at what he was doing. It was like flexing an old muscle. "That good, huh?" he laughed. "Alright, just for you, Ryan. Now, I'm not gonna be offended if you say 'no', but is that gorgeous grin on your face just because of the pancakes?"

"Don't act like you need to ask that." Danny knew fine well that everyone loved his pancakes. Ryan's chewing slowed as he looked up from his plate, the grin slowly getting wider. "Can't a guy just smile maniacally over a plate of pancakes anymore?"

Flashback: December 2014, Underground

Ryan Mitchell wasn't one to shy away from getting his ego stroked, but when the announcement came out that they would be throwing a holiday party, the last thing he had expected was for people to be using it as an excuse to celebrate his successful rescue mission. After Danny's theatrical speech, that actually managed to make him blush, it felt like the entirety of the Underground Resistance were approaching him to congratulate and thank him. It was all a bit much, and he even found himself getting a bit tearful at times when family members of the rescued started pulling him into hugs.

Jess grinned at his answer, watching as he looked down at the non-existent space between them. She cocked an eyebrow at him when he moved, her mouth falling open, as she thought 'the rumours about Ryan Mitchell were not greatly exaggerated'. Her nails ran gently down the side of his face before her hands settled there. "Pretty sure," she repeated, pressing herself even closer to him to make her point.

Ryan bit down on his bottom lip, goosebumps rising on his skin as her nails scraped softly down either side of his face. A low grumble escaped him as she pressed closer, his vision going sparkly for a moment as all the blood rushed from his brain and the oxygen left his lungs. Jessica Harvelle very well could be the death of him.

Karen realised her mistake too late when their eyes met. She saw how easy it could be to fall back into him, to drag him right down to the bottom with her. To let her darkness extinguish every last ounce of light in him. Karen longed to give into him anyway, just for a moment. He deserved better, he needed better. And she needed to finish this before it finished her. When he agreed at last, she felt a weight lift from her shoulders. "Thank y---," her words were cut off by his lips, and for one selfish, glorious, moment she allowed herself to hope for something better. For a day when they won, a day when the sun could shine on them again. His hands were on her hips, her arms wrapped around his neck, and he kissed her like she'd never been kissed before. For him, it was a promise. For her, it was a goodbye. When they finally parted, she was breathless. She pressed her lips together, and she stopped herself from arguing with him. Karen let out a breath, reaching out to brush his cheek, she softly said- "I'll see you on the other side."

Danny could hardly remember the last time he was in the kitchen like this. He wasn't even really sure what had possessed him today, but he was going with it. He had a smudge of flour across his cheek, and a ratty old apron around his waist when he asked them- "Can you pass the milk, please?" @havensdalestarters

Ryan was already passing the milk before Danny had finished his sentence. Mouth already full of the last batch of pancakes, Ryan grinned and casually brushed the flour from his friend's cheek before sitting back down. "You're never allowed to go more than a couple of weeks without making these again."

Jess was going to pull back, trip over her apology and never make this mistake again when he leaned into her, kissing her back. The relief was insurmountable. His hand brushed her hair back and she felt her heart flutter. God, she was nervous. Excited. She hadn't kissed anyone like this in a long time. At least, not with her humanity on. Not when it could mean something, however significant. When he pulled away slightly, she felt the anticipation pulse through her like electricity. If her heart could race, it would.

When Jess bit down on his lip, Ryan groaned reverently, his hands moving to her hips as she repositioned herself on his lap and pulled her flush against him. In all honesty, he wasn't exactly sure how they had ended up in this situation, but this was the first time since November- maybe even before that- that he could remember feeling something other than despair. Ryan was tired of being sad, tired of feeling like there was no hope. Jess' pull was hypnotic, her touch searing. He could drown in her and he would thank her for it.

The sound of the machete dropping onto the table echoed around the room. Karen knew she'd made a mistake as soon as she'd said it. He was right, she did know that was bullshit. Ryan believed in her. He would follow her over a cliff but she refused to let him. She could hardly stand that look in his eye. The despair, the hope, the fear... Karen couldn't turn back now, she wouldn't. She didn't interrupt him or stop him from moving closer to her. Karen wanted so much to spare Ryan from her darkness, from letting him get so close that he'd have no choice but to be consumed by it. "I know," she finally said, closing her eyes for a moment before meeting his. "I know, I'm sorry." For so many things. She pressed her hand against his chest, whether that was to keep him at a distance or let him know she was here, she didn't know. "You're right. And I-... When this is over, when we get out of here, I'll be better. Okay? I promise I will. First, I have to finish this."

Ryan's breath caught when she looked into his eyes and, for just one second, he could almost pretend that they were back in the early days of the underground- sneaking around, hiding stolen moments from the others. He wasn't sure that they would ever get back to those days, or if Karen even wanted to, but standing this close to her with her hand on his chest, Ryan could hope that maybe one day, when the dust had settled and she was better- as she put it- maybe they could have something. "Then we finish it." The words were whispered as he nodded and, before she had the chance to back away, he grabbed her by the hips and pulled her into a passionate kiss. Ryan didn't give a damn that someone could easily walk in on them; he couldn't let her go to war without her knowing where he stood. Where he would always stand. Breathless, he continued to assert his point, "Because I'm not finished with us."

Jess looked back up at him when he said 'hey' in that super serious voice. And then down to their hands as he squeezed hers. Jess felt her shoulders relax then for the first time in like, ever. She had been on her best behaviour since they'd let her come back down here. Well, not that there'd been much of a choice. Still, she'd tried to make herself smaller, quieter, less so maybe it'd be easier for everyone to accept her again. She'd tried not to think about it too much but he was reading her like a book right now. "Thank you, Ryan...," she said softly. A little laugh followed when he name dropped McRiddles as she turned his words over and over in her head.

Ryan smiled at her when she thanked him, squeezing her hand again. He couldn't quite wrap his head around how lovely her laugh was. Seeing her happy was making him feel... some kind of way. Reluctantly, he released her hand, but didn't scoot away. What had they been talking about before he had shifted the vibe? Something about his arms and Danny getting beat up by Faith? He was trying his best to get back on topic when she excitedly exclaimed that she was, in fact, Jessica Fucking Harvelle. "You're damn right you-..."

Jess shook her head a little at his reaction, did she say something wrong or...? Oh. Her worried expression immediately dissolved into a grin and she couldn't help laughing. Like, really laughing which was so nice. There hadn't been a lot to joke about these past 6 months. "No, you're right. You could click and collect these arms," she said, giving his super flexed muscles a playful squeeze. Her hand lingered there for a minute. Not a good idea, right? If things were different, normal, she would have flirted Ryan Mitchell's pants off ages ago. Now, she overthought everything. Jess gently let go, looking down almost... ugh, embarrassed? Blushing? "I'll hold a press conference in the war room to recant my previous statement. I'll get Carmen to put me over the speakers and everything," she teased. "They'll be asking 'Danny who'? McRiddles?"

The mild panic on her face didn't go unnoticed, but she quickly realised he was joking and her laugh made him smile. Really smile. Ryan wasn't sure when the last time he smiled like this was. "Damn right, you can click and collect them." When Jess touched his arm, his eyes dropped to her hand as he subconsciously flexed a little harder. He was sure his heartbeat might have sped up a fraction and he wondered if she could hear that, but before he had time to contemplate that, her hand was gone and she was almost fighting eye contact with him.

"A half hour," she replied, barely suppressing her frustration at the way he avoided looking at her. Karen knew it wasn't fair. She knew that she wasn't giving him grace but she couldn't care about that right now. She had to stay focused on their goal. Their only goal. The only thing that could matter right now. Taking care of Ryan's feelings wasn't on her agenda anymore. She turned her back on him, busy packing her gear. At least, she was trying to.

Ryan dropped the machete back on the table and turned to face her the second she made that claim. "Don't you dare say that I don't believe in you. That's bullshit, and you know it's bullshit." He might not have been looking at her before, but he was certainly looking at her now. "I'm with you. I'm always with you. I don't like the plan, but not enough to not have your back." There was a desperation in his eyes, pleading with her- to believe him, to change her mind about the plan, to choose him? He wasn't sure. In all honesty, Ryan was terrified. They had lost so much already and he wasn't sure he could handle something else going wrong. "Karen..." He was whispering too as he stepped closer to her. He was vaguely aware that he hadn't been this close to her in a long time. "I'm in this. You're in this... so I'm in this."

"Someone has to tell the docs to start looking out for these symptoms," Jess laughed. She was grateful for Ryan poking fun at them. It might have hurt Jess' feelings, the way some of the agents down here treated her but at least she had feelings to hurt.

Ryan grinned at her when she bounded over to sit across from him and he wasn't sure if he had ever realised how adorable she was. A crime, truly. He really wished that people down here would stop being such assholes. Jess wasn't the only supernatural down here and they had to get over themselves. "Right?" Ryan was about to continue to babble excitedly with her, and then she said that. "Wait. Hold on..." His jaw dropped and his hand pressed against his chest, "What do you mean, Danny is the local arms?" The arm that was draped towards her across the back of the sofa flexed, "Is this not local enough for you?" He was laughing, of course, not really offended by the comment, but it was fun to joke about something. "God, I hope it's soon. Anything to take out the arm competition."

Jess let out a laugh as he tapped the book as if it was the world's most interesting read. His little Ryan Mitchell smirk couldn't help giving it away though. "Smart and hot, you really do have it all Ryan," she joked before hesitating.

"That's what I keep telling people, but I think the underground has started melting people's brains." Ryan casually glanced in the direction that the people she had screamed at had gone. "I think some of them are getting a bit cabin-fevery, maybe even paranoid and delusional."

Flashback: November 2016, Underground

Ryan was as ready as he could ever be to follow through on this plan. Him being ready wasn't the problem, it was his lack of belief that it would work. When the vote happened, Ryan had been one of the first to object. They were in over their heads, their enemies were too strong and too dangerous, and the information came from a source that was questionable at best. Hell, the weapon Xavier developed hadn't even been properly tested. There were too many variables, too many chances for everything to go wrong. But Karen was going in... so Ryan was going in.

"It's been 6 months! Can you quit looking at me like I'm going to tear your throat out, please? Newsflash: I am not interested. Move on!!" Admittedly, today had set Jess a little on edge and now she was taking it out on one of Carmen Caffrey's bitchy agents. As they glared and hurried off, Jess was about to let out a huff when she heard someone else. Shit. Her reputation continued to tank. Turning, an unexpected grin hit her face--- "Ryan! Hi. Um, you didn't hear any of that, right?" @ryyyan-mitchell

Ryan had been sitting in the corner with a coffee and a book when Jessica blew in like a hurricane, biting the heads off the Institue agents who still flinched as she passed. He might not have a lot of hope anymore, but he couldn't stop the smile from tugging at his lips. He understood why they were on edge; sharing his home with supernaturals hadn't been easy for Ryan at the start and she might have only been here for six months, but there were worse monsters down here than Jessica Harvelle.