Thinking about cod men with the most s/o of all time that is just so so tender with them and is so soft and kisses them so so good just like they deserve.

Thinking about cod men with an s/o that doesn't hesitate to tell them how pretty they are and will hold and caress them in a heartbeat, watching as their big bad military man melts in their arms.

Thinking about cod men that feel tears brim their eyes as their darling cups his head in their hands, their thumbs ever so gently brushing over his cheeks as they pepper kisses all over his face.

A/N: for @chloes-yellow-cup @kimmania and @antiquesoul83 without whom i would not have survived the heartbreak of this past month. I love you awesome nerds.

Beca

Okay. So. This was a lot. She stared at the crowd of bodies then cringed when she realized that Jesse had now managed to wade through everyone to get to the front. He was a giant puppy. A super annoying one sometimes but a puppy none the less. So she just braced herself for the inevitable.

As soon as he was close enough to grab her he reached out and engulfed her in a tight hug. Tight enough to squeeze the air from her lungs for a second. Beca patted his shoulder awkwardly before gently extricating herself. 

Tension radiated behind her and she turned her head to see Chloe’s eyes were impossibly bright and piercing as she watched Jesse with open distrust. 

That is not distrust.

Oh for fuck's sake. This fucking guy. Beca ignored him, knowing that trying to have a conversation with a disembodied voice in her head would only distract her. She hoped it would dissuade Harun from continuing but she was wrong. Because of course she was.

It's jealousy.

“No shit, Sherlock.”

“What?”

“Not you Jesse, the dead guy in my head.”

Jesse's head tipped to the side in confusion. Aubrey's cool hand slid over her shoulder and Beca grazed her cheek over it instinctively. The annoying intensity of Harun's presence lessened and she raised her head to smile at her friend again.

“Nevermind that part. How the hell did you guys find me?”

Jesse's grin nearly split his face and his chest puffed with pride. Of all the people in her life she had known and called friends, which were admittedly few, she had known and tolerated him the longest. They had actually been through kind of a lot and she realized that she maybe sort of missed him and was glad to see his big dumb face.

“Kommissar.”

She should have known but she was still surprised when the blonde Alpha wolf stepped forward. Bodies flowed out of her way with each overly confident step. Beca was self aware enough to realize that there was an attraction to the Alpha wolf. But what had once confused and embarrassed her just felt mildly awkward now. As though she were looking at a childhood crush through an adult lens.

“So we have finally caught up to the tiny mouse. I told you once, you would not escape me when I choose to pursue you.”

It was probably exactly the wrong thing to say with two jealous vampires at her back. Beca opened her mouth to quickly cut off the hiss she could feel building in Chloe's body behind her. It would do no good if they devolved into a pissing match over her. And it would make her look like a punk if she cowered now.

“We aren't playing fetch, Fido, and you didn't chase me anywhere I didn't intend you to follow.”

The silence was epic. She wasn't sure anyone had ever spoken to Kommissar with such directness since she had been a pup. Beca held the wolf's gaze for a long moment, refusing to back down.

Weeks ago she would never openly challenge the Alpha of the region. Especially Kommissar who had made it known that she intended to make Beca one of her pack since they had met. Jesse had tried to tell her it wasn't so bad being a part of the pack as a turned wolf. If she survived the grisly attack and horrific first change. And if was a huge factor. That Jesse had survived was a bit of a feat considering the horrific event that had made him.

The Alphas had outlawed turning humans hundreds of years ago  because of the dangers of that first shift. Not every human was strong enough physically or emotionally to handle the beast within. Jesse had been a fluke. A rogue Alpha that was trying to grow his pack without the council of wolves knowing. Of the 25 humans he had attacked, only Jesse had survived.

The problem was Jesse hadn't been the intended target. He just happened to be the big dummy that ran into the fray to help a stranger. Beca didn't know all the details,  Jesse didn't seem keen to share the memory of that night, but she knew whatever happened by morning there was a dead Alpha and a very critically injured human left. 

Humans never accepted him after that, and the pack? They had run him off from his home and family and everything he had known out of fear of what he would become. After that he had found the carnival and became part of the family just like Beca. Kommissar and her pack had eventually tracked Jesse down to offer him a place with his own kind but he had chosen to stay with the show. To stay with Beca. Probably out of some a stupid sense of loyalty no one else was obligating him to.

Kommissar had decided that meant he had chosen Beca over them. And from that moment had been doing everything she could to make Beca hers. In every way. 

Which had been terrifying even if she had some private moments thinking about it. Like. Really thinking about it. But ultimately Beca had politely and meekly declined every offer to be a part of Kommissar's pack or harem of lovers.

But that was before. Things were different now. She was different, and Kommissar could smell it. The Alpha narrowed her eyes and took a step closer, looming over Beca with an air of danger coiled tightly about her.

“Have a care, tiny mouse. I am still the Alpha of this land no matter what new friends you make.”

It was a big time threat and Beca could feel the hairs on the back of her neck rise in response to the shift in energy. Before she could even open her mouth power surged up around them, power that snarled and snapped with intensity Beca had never felt before. It felt so wild and alive that she wasn't sure it was entirely vampiric until Athan glided forward. His voice was a deep growl when he stopped directly in front of Kommissar. 

“Do you know me, wolf?”

Kommissar raised her eyes to the cloaked and hooded figure then lowered them quickly. Athan flexed his power, shredding the menace that had been in the air a moment ago. The wolves behind her gasped softly when she whined and dropped to a knee. 

“Vater der Wölfe.”

“Uh Bec…who's this guy?”

“Athan, apparently the Father of Wolves.”

“Wow. You get captured by the coolest people.”

“I know right?”

He grinned and shoulder bumped her playfully. It made her feel better and the tension in her body eased. Beca looked at Athan and gave him a nod of thanks.

“Look…you can stand. Or sit. I dunno whatever is easiest for everyone here. We don't actually have a lot of time and if I have to measure dicks with all of you we'll all still be standing here when the Blood Guard arrives.”

A woman raised her hand in what would look like a shy undulation of her body to a mortal man. To Beca it looked more like a hand reaching up to claw something down to the depths. The petite Asian woman opened her mouth, lips moving soundless with her question. Beca looked around to see if anyone else had caught what she missed. No one seemed confused when they turned to look at her for response. 

“Uh…I didn't catch that? Can you speak up?”

Aubrey shifted quietly at her side and she glanced up at her vampire.

“She cannot. This one is sirena. Any louder would be our doom.”

“Dope. What's she saying?”

“She wishes to know why you have called them here. And also if she may have a tooth.”

“Uh does it have to be mine?”

Aubrey’s lips quicked into an amused grin. It was just wicked enough for Beca to realize that this was one of those things the demon in Aubrey enjoyed. Oh boy.

“Sange de sirena gift bones to seal a deal. Bones of their ancestors, or enemies. The greatest honor would be a bone from your own body. It is a bond and pact between parties meant to last generations. Blood of your blood, bone of your bone, until the last of you drifts to the bottom of the sea.”

Well that was a lot. Beca processed Harun's helpful information before answering. Sirens were a tricky race of beings and she didn’t want to lock in a deal she wasn't sure of all the terms on. She turned back to the woman and cleared her throat. 

“First, I didn’t intend to call anyone anywhere. I didn't even know any of this was going to happen. But now that we are all here, Fae, Shifter, Siren, Human, Witch, and Vampir, we have to talk about what's coming.”

There was a nervous titter from the assembled group that she didn’t want to devolve into panic before she got to the point so she pushed herself into the group, away from the safety net of the vampires.

“The Blood Guard is coming with the intent of obliterating the Great Clans.”

The uproar was instant and deafening and for a moment she was sure she had made a mistake. She was sure the violence in those cries was going to spill over to the wrong vampires and cause a war before anything could be discussed. But a very shrill whistle pierced through the chaos, forcing them all to turn and seek out the origin.

Beca’s lips curled in amusement to find Chloe standing defiantly in the bed of a truck, commanding the attention of the assembled.

“We’re not your enemies, and while we may never be friends we can at least be allies. Aubrey…?”

The blonde leapt easily into the truck bed with Chloe and rested her ax at her feet, clearly making a point that she had no intent toward harm. A hushed whisper traveled through the group but Beca caught the words “cursed one”. So they knew who and what Aubrey was. The vampire gazed at them all coolly then focused her attention on Beca. She didn’t have to call to her or even raise a hand. The necromancer’s body moved of its own accord, threading through people until she was at the truck.

“What vampires have done is intolerable. Everything we fought to achieve and build has been torn from our grasp, everything the Michile worked for, everything you've bled and died for, has been taken from you. From all of us. Once, I failed to protect the covenant that gave us peace and freedom, but no longer. I intend to fight the oppressors. Until my true death if necessary.”

Chloe and Aubrey leapt down lightly to be with her, at the level of the group around them, their arms sliding around her in an insulating embrace she sunk into for a moment before gathering herself to speak.

“These vampires and I choose to fight the Council and their guards. We are going to end this once and for all. No more slavery, no more torture, no more genocide, no more kampfhunds, no MORE!”

She knew she was being watched carefully. Everything she did and said in this moment mattered more than any other time in her life. It wasn't just about her struggle for survival anymore. And maybe she had been too wrapped up in her own shit before to realize what this would actually mean in the actual moment. But she understood it all so clearly now.

“And I get it, yeah? I get being too afraid, of being scared to upset the way of things. Worried about what will happen to each of us. It's why I spent an entire life running and hiding. To protect myself. To save me. But being here, standing and fighting isn't about me. It's about all of us. For all of us. And deadass, I wouldn’t blame anyone that walked back out those doors and started running. There's a good chance you may even get somewhere safe, but you'll never be free. At least with us you have a chance to take your lives back, like the ones before us did. So that the ones after us can be free forever.”

Jesse rocked on his heels, hands in his pockets, grinning like the big dork he was. When no one said anything he took a deliberate step forward, looked around, then took another big step putting him right in front of Beca again. 

“Me too, also, as well. That's my friend!”

“I don’t know him!”

“Aww Becs in effects, you know and love me!”

He opened his arms for a hug that elicited a hiss from Chloe made him drop them immediately. 

“Right, sorry. No hugging. So vampires and wolves huh? Old enemies turned new friends. I think this could make an awesome meet cute in that scary monsters kind of way.”

“You don’t speak for all wolves, pup.” 

Kommissar growled but Beca was pleased to note she hadn’t stood from her kneeling spot at Athan's feet.

“I am still Alpha. My pack will follow ME.”

Jesse nodded a few times at Kommissar, almost like he was waiting for her to say more. When she didn’t he gave her a sad smile and a sigh.

“But I'm not in your pack. So. I guess…I can do what I want.”

Athan's hooded head tipped slightly as he studied Jesse intently. His power crept out and curled around her friend, curious and exploring before he withdrew it and focused on Beca.

“This one is a true Alpha.”

The moment he stated it his power released its hold on Kommissar and she sagged to the side in a desperate scramble to get out of Athan's way as he came closer.

“Wait. You mean me? Dude no. I mean would I like things to be my own way? Yes  100 percent but I don't want to be the boss. Plus you know, mutts don't get to be Alphas.”

“Mutt?”

“Yeah you know…bitten wolves. That's the rule in wolf world.”

“It matters not how you came to be. You are what you are, and no other wolf can make that less so.”

The wolves looked at each other nervously unsure how to process this information. All eyes drifted to Kommissar, waiting for her to say anything at all. She growled defiantly but looked away from Athan quickly. 

Beca could appreciate the position the Alpha was in. She was basically being called out for weakness. If she didn't make the right choice she would lose her pack and they would likely follow Jesse. Whether he liked it or not. The necromancer chewed her lip trying to decide if she should toss Kommisar a lifeline or not. 

“Look Kommissar, if we want to build a new life we are going to have to do it by being different and better than we are now. Whatever prejudices we have need to die now for us to have a chance at making a change.”

“And why should the wolves be a part of your change, tiny mouse? We are wolves, we are free wherever we roam.”

It was a lie. A lie made up by Kommissar's hurt pride and the desire to keep her pack. Beca didn't even begin to know how to speak to that without saying ‘liar lair fur on fire’. Which would probably not go well for them.

Aubrey squeezed her shoulder gently and Beca looked up at her with a relieved nod. Yes, please, do the leader thing. Chloe kissed her brow lightly and pulled back enough for her and Aubrey to address the group. 

The buzz of annoyance she had started to link to Harun's presence dampened when Aubrey’s voice rose just loud enough to stop the whispers rustling softly among them.

“If your freedom is not enough, then may we offer you revenge?”

Chloe took one step forward and pinned Kommissar with blue eyes nearly snapping with intensity. There was no fear, only a laser focus and for the first time Beca could actually picture Chloe facing down a minotaur. 

“Pieter is alive.” Kommissar's lip curled in a silent warning growl. Beca didn't know who Pieter was but by the way Jesse flinched at the mention of his name made her curious. Chloe raised her brow in challenge and pressed forward. “Hauer will come for my Necromancer. And he will bring his kampfhunds, he will bring your brother.”

Oh. Fuck. Beca’s eyes popped wide as she looked between the vampire and a wolf. That was a twist she never saw coming. 

“You lie. Pieter is already dead.”

“I've seen him with my own eyes. The wolf with the white sock, opposite your own.” 

“Pieter would never be captured! He would die first  taking as many of you soulless demons as possible.”

Aubrey's smooth voice rose slightly. “I am the only demon here, and if Chloe says she saw your brother alive then it is so.”

“I believe her.” 

A tall woman with more leg than Beca was tall gave them an impish smile that showed a few too many teeth. And still Beca couldn't help but stare. Stare and stupidly start to raise her hands to boob squeeze position before Jesse shook his head and pushed her hands down. Wait what? 

“What just happened?”

Jesse chuckled. “Succubus.”

Beca flushed a deep red and shoved her hands in her back pockets to prevent that from happening again. Kommissar looked at the woman appraisingly then stepped back. 

“And what would the leader of the Fae gain from this?”

“You heard them, Wolfskönigin. Freedom. Revenge. Peace for all of us. But beyond that, the desire leaking off these three right now could feed me for an entire season. They have power, Kommissar. Real fucking power and everyone here can taste it but you.”

Kommisar growled and faced Beca again. This time the look wasn't just predatory it was deadly. The Alpha was going to kill her one day for putting her in this position. There wasn't going to be any reconciliation no matter what Kommissar chose. She would always hate Beca. Chloe hissed a warning and put her body directly in the wolf's line of sight and blocked the view of Beca. 

It didn't surprise her in the least that Chloe did that. Or that Aubrey chuckled with unconcern at the alpha's posturing. Because of course not. She'd seen Chloe fight worse. Beca, however, was surprised at the sudden shift of vampire and Clan alike that simultaneously had done the same.

And she might have been a little embarrassed at the startled jump she gave at realizing the creepy fish lady was at her elbow when she hadn't seen or heard her move at all. But Beca covered it quickly with a grateful nod and a quick mental count of all her teeth.

“So…here it stands then. The Great Clans have chosen…”

The betrayal in her tone was evident. It was thick with layers of rage and hurt and at her core Beca understood it. And if the shoe were on the other foot she would be just as upset. Beside her Jesse whined softly and shuffled forward with his eyes down. It was the most submissive he could make himself as he faced the growling alpha.

“Kommissar, I don't want to lead this pack and I won't choose sides against you. I do think joining with them is the right thing but not if it's going to cause a war between wolves. I'll be your wolf if that's what it takes to prove it. And I'll support whatever choice you make here. Just…please let's not fight.”

It was almost everything Kommissar wanted. The chance to find her brother, to fight vampires, even having Jesse in her pack. It was everything but Beca herself and the necromancer could see the wheels turning in her head. After a moment of thought Kommissar's energy settled and she gave an agreeing grunt.

“Wolves will join.”

Beca nodded with a grin. “Bet.”

Okay this could work out. She glanced around, once again startled at the proximity of the siren on her left side. She was watching Beca intently and she felt a mental prod from Harun. 

“Oh. Fuck. Right…okay wait…” Well the lady wanted teeth. Beca probed the already loose tooth from her fight with that jerk in the van. It wasn't nearly as loose as it had been, having healed quickly when she bound to Aubrey and Chloe but it was all she had. “I'm going to need you to punch me in the face first.”

And the siren did. Without hesitation or question. And while Beca had told her to, she was still unprepared for the blow that rocked her back into Aubrey’s solid body behind her.

“Ow! Thanks…”

She rubbed her jaw winced when the tooth shifted under the ginger touch. Beca poked and probed with her tongue until it came out of place. She pinched it between her fingers trying not to gag at the sight of her own bloody tooth and dropped it into the eagerly waiting webbed hand. 

The siren examined the tooth and tucked it away with a firm nod. Gross but okay. Deal formally made. Which meant there was only one thing left to do. Beca cleared her throat and turned to hold a hand out for Athan. He came forward and knelt at her side. It was a little exhilarating, having a creature that powerful kneel at her feet. Magic as old as the ground beneath them swelled and flexed and she could feel everyone of her ancestors with it. 

“Show them.”

Athan glanced up but sighed and lowered his hood. It wasn't pretty. He had decayed even further since the last time she had seen him. Her magic caressed his brittle, bald pate and she looked at Kommissar.

Mornings with Luca!

notes: gn!reader, first fic of the blog! ^_^

Your phone alarm rings under your pillow, disturbing your nice sleep. Moving to reach your phone, you feel all types of warmth and comfort. The soft pillow cases, the new sheets, the heaviness of the duvet.. but wait, there's something else heavy..

Luca's been leeching on you since the start of your slumber. He's been burying his face onto your chest, you're starting to wonder how he's breathing. You can describe the view as a clingy dog that misses his owner so much. It's adorable.

After laying around for a few minutes trying to get more woken up, you try to get out of his grasp in order to start the day, but this huge guy isn't budging. "Luca, I need to make breakfast." You whisper, poking his cheek. Luca grumbles with his morning voice, "Just stay a little longer, I can make breakfast anyway.." Luca mumbles, almost hardly intelligible.

You sigh, sitting a bit up and started to scroll on social media. You had to wait for this himbo to get up from whatever dream he was enjoying so much. The curtains were slightly shambled, having some sunlight poke through it's gaps.

Seeing the light shine on your beloved looked so solemn, you're thankful for whatever you did in the past life to receive whatever this is. The man finally wakes up, yawning. He scoots more closer to you, trying to see what you're up to with your phone.

5 more minutes of lazing around, and he finally gets up. This man usually wakes up early to do a morning jog, but it's a rest day (which is probably rare). Luca yawns again, stretching and puts on a shirt and ties his hair to one little ponytail. "I'll call you once breakfast is done, honey." He says with a smile and waves goodbye to you in a kid-like manner. You waved back and sighed.

You're aware you're lucky, and you're thankful for every bit.

But no. This was a different touch. Instead of pushing his pants down, your hands carefully push his shirt up, just under his chest. You don't make any moves to pull it off, just keeps it there as your fingers trace along his torso. The pads of your fingers feel each dip and muscle and he tries not to shiver when your nails ghost over his scars.

It's about the sensations. It's about finding all the latches and hooks that hold him together and letting you pull him apart. You pull back his layers and teach yourself about every gear and wire, every muscle and tendon. Then you put him back together exactly as he was. You didn't want to fix him. You wanted to know him

Your deft hands cradle his head, lips kiss across his mangled face as you whisper the most foreign, loving, painful words to him.

Something about the way you hold him makes him feel small. Sometimes, he doesn't want to be big. Sometimes, he'll humor you and let you pull him into your lap. He's such a behemoth, but the way your hands squeeze his hips as you grin up at him makes him feel precious, like a prized pet to be pampered.

Never Far From You

John "Soap" MacTavish x reader

Sorry this isn't exactly what you asked for, nonnie, but just know I am already attached to this reader and I will be slowburning this prompt. This story is getting unpacked layer by layer. I know you specified Nurses body type but it's never mentioned in this part. I couldn't find a way to casually fit it in with the idea I had but I will make it the forefront of another piece, don't you worry :]

This is also my submission for @glitterypirateduck and their Soap It Up challenge.

Prompt 2: "Do I make you nervous?"

Prompt 14: "I've been looking for you."

You haven't had to look around corners to check if the coast was clear since high school. It makes you feel childish. Makes you feel like a helpless teenager trying to avoid the prettier girls that whisper and leer when you walk past. You're too old to feel like that.

You don't know if you should be grateful you're not hiding from bullies or be more fearful of the person that's really chasing you.

Beca

“Now I've never played dress up before but I'm pretty sure it actually involves putting on clothes at some point…”

Not that she was complaining at all. Beca was firmly of the belief that a no clothes rule should definitely be enforced. Chloe trailed a fingertip down her spine as she circled around the necromancer. It made Beca’s knees weak and she had to bite her lip to keep from making a sound that would likely embarrass herself for all eternity.

Which could potentially be a thing when dealing with vampires. She wasn't yet sure how that worked exactly. She knew something was different about her now. And she wanted a second to process and explore the newness but what with the trauma, and the drama and the imminent doom, and all the sexy times it just didn't fit into her busy schedule.

“Just trying to decide what would look best on you.”

“Considering everything you pick out ends up on the floor I'm thinking you might not be the best judge.”

“It’s not my fault you look best naked in our bed, Beca.”

There it was again. Our. Beca tried to fight the smile that crept across her face but gave up when the cool length of Chloe’s body pressed against her back and arms wrapped around her.

“This is different when you're not using me to bait Aubrey into feeding.”

Chloe hesitated a moment before she dipped her head to brush a soft kiss over her bite mark. The brunette’s knees finally gave out on her and she probably would have collapsed into a puddle of Beca on the floor had Chloe's arms not been wrapped so securely around her.

“I can never express how deeply I regret the way that played out. I hadn't ever meant for her to feed on you, I just needed her to wake up and save you. Save all of us.”

“It’s okay, I don't mind taking one for the team on this. It was the right thing to do. Plus…I kinda liked it. Which makes me question all kinds of things about myself now so that's fun times to unpack.”

Chloe’s eyes seemed to sparkle with amusement and Beca had to blink past the heart eyes she knew she was giving. She cleared her throat and pointedly kept the vampire’s hands from roaming. If she let Chloe get handsy now Beca would happily let the world burn around them.

Chloe pouted at not being allowed to explore Beca’s lithe body. ”You’re no fun.”

”I’m fun. I can be lots of fun. I can fun your ass off. But also we kinda sorta have a rebellion to execute and an ancient vampire to heal. It’s the pits but on the other hand freedom is pretty amazing.”

”Chloe…are you certain this is in fashion? I know things have changed but this seems an obscene amount of exposed flesh.”

”I’m standing here almost naked and she’s the one complaining about being exposed?”

Chloe chuckled softly in her ear which helped her hormonal issue be exactly zero percent better. Beca lightly slapped at the vampire’s grip and extricated herself entirely so she could sift through the pile of discards for something she liked.

“Let’s see it Aubrey.”

”If you’re sure…”

They both turned as Aubrey stepped out of the closet in a dark red deep V halter dress that was slit to the hip on each side. She was bare from neck to navel and hip to ankle. Whatever article of clothing Beca had been holding fell from her suddenly numb fingers.

”Boobalas…” Beca’s eyes zeroed in on said target instinctively.

Aubrey looked down and covered her chest with her hands in an attempt at modesty. Chloe’s fangs lengthened and she stepped forward to gently tug blonde’s hands down.

”Oh I’m very sure about you in this dress. But you should take it off. For comparison reasons.”

Aubrey gave the redhead an exasperated look and turned toward the full length mirror with a critical eye. She turned back with a slight flourish and nervously fussed with the gauzy front panel of the dress.

“What do you think, Beca? Should I change?”

”I love leg.” Truthfully she loved everything Aubrey was showing off. “Chloe’s right, you should take it off and we should get in bed. Doesn’t have to be in that order of events.”

”You two…thank you. But we have work to do.” She let her own gaze drift over Beca’s mostly naked body and smirked. “I like your outfit.”

”Yeah I’m really rocking the wanton hussy sex slave vibe. But I still fail to see how this will help us in any way.”

Chloe held out a pair of tight low slung leather pants and a matching vest for her. Beca hummed a soft approving noise and held the pants up to her waist. They were more her style than anything else she had tried previously and she wondered how long Chloe had that outfit in mind for her despite making her try on everything else.

“Did you save these for last so you could watch me undressing?”

Chloe gave her an impish grin and shrugged innocently.

“It’s important because everything we do, say, and even wear means something. Aubrey isn’t dressed in fighting leathers, her heart is exposed. This says she either trusts the company she is in or she doesn’t view them as a threat. It will be the same with you exposing your neck and arms. I too will wear something revealing by vampire standards to show solidarity and unity with you both.”

”So it’s a power play?”

”Partially. Also it’s just hot. Very very hot.”

”So what are you wearing?”

”You’ll see.”

It intrigued Beca and she made a small sound of interest when Chloe ducked into the closet to change.

“Okay then. So question, what do we do if the Great Clans don’t want to join our Country Jamboree?”

Aubrey looked helplessly at the pile of makeup on Chloe’s vanity. She picked up a jar and sniffed tentatively at the contents before pushing it aside and picking up something else.

“Face paints have come a long way, I hardly know where to begin.”

“Yeah they no longer contain lead, wild concept, right?”

Beca smiled softly at the scene before moving closer to help. She had difficulty remembering that the vampire was still learning to adapt to modern times when she seemed so confident about who she was. But times like these, where she was unsure and vulnerable…they hit Beca right in the feels.

”Don’t worry. I got’chu, Horny.”

It was oddly intimate, applying makeup on Aubrey. It made it hard not to lean forward and kiss her and keep kissing her. Which would completely undo the work she was trying to do. Luckily Aubrey picked up the conversation as she sat patiently for Beca.

”In answer to your question, I don’t think it will come to that. They come here in search of their queen. They will follow you where you lead.”

Beca paused in the process of applying. She knew they were coming here to defend and protect her but it didn’t seem real. So much of her life had been solitary and not by choice. And now people she never met were riding to her rescue. What if some of them had doubts? What if some of them were as scared of her as the vampires were?

”Yeah…but what if they don’t?”

”It doesn’t matter if they don’t. I will follow you, Beca.”

Having the support of the queen of the vampires. What an insane thought. Beca put down the lip liner slowly and gently bumped foreheads with Aubrey.

”As will I and the rest of the free vampire nation.”

Beca and Aubrey turned at the sound of Chloe’s voice and froze. Chloe looked ethereal in a strapless deep blue gown of layered gauze embroidered with a delicate pattern of silver vines. She looked like an actual princess and Beca was robbed of the ability to speak.

”Well?”

”Wow…”

”Is that a good wow or a bad wow?”

“That’s a you look amazing wow. You look like a princess.”

Aubrey was too silent and Beca glanced at her trying to gauge her reaction to Chloe’s dress. Chloe smoothed the front of her dress nervously at the blonde's lack of response.

“You're starting to worry me, Bree. Is…is my dress not…”

“It’s perfect. You Chloe, are perfect. In every way.”

There was a soft look shared between them that held centuries of love and adoration. Beca didn't feel a part of it but she didn’t feel excluded from it either.

She thought that might feel awkward or out of place in a relationship with two people that had been in love with each other long before her ancestors were even born but she didn’t. It was comforting and she realized it was part of the reason she had fallen in love with them. If they could love each other that much, after everything they had been through, maybe they could love her forever too.

“So this is it? We're ready to face the Clans?”

“Not quite. Chloe, do you have my lock box?”

“Of course. It's in the safe behind Sal.”

Beca snorted of unsurprised amusement. “Of course you have a wall safe behind your minotaur's head. That's so Dracula campy.”

Chloe gave her a squint eyed look and went to retrieve the box. Aubrey watched the minotaur head warily, her lip curling slightly on reflex every time Chloe touched it. Beca couldn't help but chuckle at it.

“You really hate that guy.”

“He put a mark on Chloe. I would end every minotaur that walks for the insult.”

“Yikes. While I don’t disagree on the insult part we could maybe talk about this whole genocidal streak ya got going here. Turning over a new leaf, remember?”

Chloe placed a heavy metal box on the vanity between them and handed Aubrey a key. Beca reached out and touched the scarred, battered texture of the hammer marks and engraved runes.

“How old is this thing?”

“Old. It belonged to my mother. A gift from my father upon learning of my birth.”

Beca yanked her hand back immediately and gave the demon box a wary look. Aubrey fit the black glass key in the lock and twisted it. It clicked and popped easily as the tumblers dropped into place. Beca made an interested sound at the smooth movement even after all this time.

“Demon craftsmanship, am I right?”

The vampire lifted the lid with a reverent grace and removed a small leather pouch. Chloe inhaled sharply at seeing it and Beca wondered what she was missing. Aubrey shook the contents out and kissed the two rings that fell into her palm.

“When Harun and I joined and I was cast out of the Council, we created a new crest. One meant to be a symbol for a new way in a new world. I thought these ideals had died with him. But they live in you, Beca, because you, Chloe, kept them alive. It would mean a great deal if you each bore them now. Until we can create a new crest to symbolize our union.”

Beca reached for the larger of the two rings, surprised when it felt tingly and warm in her palm as if it recognized her. She traced a fingertip over the stylized M set in the top right corner of the shield design. M for Michile, her Clan of one. She couldn’t explain why that felt so significant now. She had been alone her whole life and it had bothered her, but now, now she was part of a legacy that had started with a man that shared her blood and wore this ring. Now, She had something to live up to. Now, she had a purpose.

Aubrey’s soft voice shook her out of her thoughts and she raised her head to look at the other women.

“Perhaps something of Chloe's choosing will complete the coat of arms?”

“Oh! Wait…I have…”

Chloe gave the ring she had slid on her finger another soft look of wonder and flipped open a satin padded jewelry box on the corner of her vanity. The vampire removed a small silk pouch and spilled the contents into her hand.

She smiled and lifted a delicate platinum herringbone link bracelet with a minotaur head charm with matching necklace and pendant. It was a perfect offering to symbolize Chloe.

“Can I fasten this on you?”

Beca blinked in surprise and nodded quickly. The necromancer handed her ring to Chloe to thread on the chain and lifted her hair out of the way. The new weight settled comfortably against her chest and she touched it with as much reverence as Aubrey had displayed.

Beca frowned slightly when she realized she had nothing to offer them in return. No token or symbol of who she was or what she may have accomplished in life. Aubrey felt the slight shift in her and reached out a pale hand to hers.

“Is something wrong?”

“I don’t have anything to give you guys. I never had something like this…I mean. I've never done anything to commemorate or anything. I'm only known for running away and the only things I own are that pile of clothes over there and a rusted out Chevy I bought off a redneck for half a bottle of Wild Turkey and a box of shotgun shells. I don’t have anything precious to give you.”

Chloe cupped her cheek gently, her thumb brushing over Beca’s jaw in a light caress.

“Beca, you are the gift you've given us. Your trust and love mean more than gold and jewels.”

Jewels. Beca reached up and touched the small stud in her ear. The only thing of real value she actually owned. A pair of diamond studs she had purchased from a real fancy jewelry store and not out of the trunk of someone's car. She had been so proud selecting them from the display and laying out her carefully arranged and smoothed bills on the counter. It had felt like she had purchased a toehold into a world she could only observe from the outside. It had taken two years of saving every cent she had but she had earned her wealth such as it was and wore it with pride everyday.

“Wait…” Beca removed each stud and held them out nervously. “I know it's not fancy or life altering but they're a part of me. A part of my struggle I guess.”

Chloe smiled softly and took a stud to pierce through her lobe without hesitation. Beca had to smile when the other woman sat down next to Aubrey at the vanity and started styling her hair in braided sections tight to her head on one side to display her earring openly.

Aubrey chuckled softly and took the other stud from Beca’s hand.

“Harun once made a similar speech to me. Only his fortune included a three legged goat named Hoppy that head butted him incessantly even as we exchanged vows. He traded from a butcher for a new cleaver because he couldn't bear to see Hoppy harmed.”

Beca rocked on her heels and laughed. Okay at least she was doing better than a three legged goat.

“Guess it's a Michile thing to be a broke bitch.”

Aubrey looked at her and blinked in surprise.

“I was going to say it is a Michile thing to share all that you have without restraint. That is who you are Beca Mitchell. That you give of yourself so willingly, down to your very blood, that is the most precious of gifts any could ask for. Chloe and I will wear this token of your bond with more pride than a bejeweled crown.”

“She’s serious about that. There's an actual crown in that demon box.”

Beca couldn't stop herself from the quick peek in the box despite the heaviness of the conversation.

“For real?”

Yep. That was a crown alright. It didn't look like anything Beca would ever wear. Mostly because she wasn’t entirely sure it wasn’t a torture device. It was a delicate circlet of thorns from the same black glass the key had been made of, set with deep red rubies like fresh drops of blood.

It was beautiful and horrifying at the same time. Beca could feel an aura of magic around it that made her a little uneasy. She took a step back from the box and curled a hand around the ring around her neck. It pulsed coolly against her palm as if reminding her it was there with her. Beca focused on the faint tingle of energy and pushed it gently with her power.

The energy swelled and slid over her fingertips and settled into her skin with a familiar throb. Power rose in her, unbidden and unchecked, making both vampires start and stare at her. Beca could feel them all again. Every necromancer and elder from the Michile line, she could feel echoes of all of them. Magic she had never known or experienced filled her mind and body in an overwhelming and painful burst and she cried out seconds before her body locked and she dropped to the ground like a sack of rocks.

I don't think he's exactly retired yet, more like laying low with a lot of other guys from Shadow Company. Maybe they did something just a little (not little) risky (they almost blew up all of Washington) and need to stay off the radar for a while. Since Lerch is canonically from Texas, I think it may have been his idea. He's got some of the shadows working as temporary hands while others are holed up on various plots of land in plain sight.

While Graves is busy riding bulls and being a usual showboat, I think Velikan is more dedicated to the laying low part of laying low. He's living on a small ranch, nothing more than maybe 5 acres. He's got a few horses and livestock, mainly chickens and goats because he wants things he can wrangle easily.

It takes some adjustment for him, the slow and somewhat repetitive life in a small town like this. He's so used to constantly being on the move, constantly being on guard. He didn't become the warden by half-assing his job.

But it's so quiet. He always drags himself down to the bars and rodeo arenas with the rest of the shadows, just for the white noise (and to bet on how quickly his CEO gets bucked). They must look like some kind of old western gang, all wearing black hats and bandanas over their mouths. At least there's still that familiarity. He hates to admit it, but he cares about these kids more than he wants to.

It's nice for a while, a little too nice. Laying low seems to drag out longer and longer, and he finds himself calling his little farm "home" more often than not. He starts to understand the suspicious amount of retired military here, this weirdass town has a way of luring you in and wiggling its way into your heart.

Apparently, a lot of the other shadows seem to agree because, one by one, they all begin to settle down with oddly charming and beautiful women. They start making jokes that there must be something in the water when Graves starts chasing around a pretty bronc rider.

He didn't take it all too seriously until he walked by a little stand in the market, selling jars of honey with you sitting comfortably behind the display. There's a frayed little straw hat sitting comfortably on your head and he can't help but wonder how it would look replaced by his own.

Ghost finds himself leaning against a stone wall, fiddling with the straps of his gear as he listens to the bustle of the locals. He's in a more rural part of the city, one half full of shops and restaurants and the occasional pub (of which Ghost is waiting for Gaz and Soap outside of), the other half being a neighborhood on the other side of the cobblestone wall behind him.

It was meant to be a more casual mission, gather some intel and do a bit of a stakeout. Gaz and Soap would chat with a man that has information for them, while Ghost waited outside in case there was trouble or they needed to make a quick escape. After a few hours, he quickly realized this wasn't much of a mission at all.

It was peaceful though, a breath of fresh air compared to the adrenaline and bloodshed of his usual work. He was debating on calling it all a bust and dragging his boys back to base when a small sound hit his ears.