372 posts
Gremlin-writes-angst - Earths Candy - Tumblr Blog
"y'all cool with Morgan gone?"
"y'all cool with caelum not being here for 2 yea-*
DOMINIMOONBEAM!
upload another chapter of any story!
AND MY LIFE
IS YOURS!!!
Cross posting Tank, post Quinncident (no I am not sorry for hurting people’s feelings/j)
Darlin met quinn when their hair was shaggy, like they were planning to cut it but hadn't gotten to it
Then quin scared them mentally physically , their haihad gotten so long, it wasn't their style. But it hides the marks
They didn't cut their hair for a long time. They hated it, but it was any easier than taking the judgmental looks of strangers because of their gruesome neck
Untill sam
He wasn't the only factor, but he helped them change and become more confident and carefree in those scars
So they cut their hair, really short. Or Sam cuts it, the night being one full of emotion, sam took his time, softly kissing darlin before cutting large parts off. Sam may not have much experience with cute hair, but he did a good job, and darlin looks and feels great
Bonus:
they were still getting used to the short hair when quinn was captured. so It was another layer of facing quinn, with the "claiming" bites on display
Things Quinn might have said
" I prefer your hair long. More to hold and yank. I know you were fond of that as well"
" I'm happy to see you showing off my marks. They really are a form of art"
" How does your pack feel about this- fashion statement. Ooo- better yet how does that other vampire your seeing feel about it. I bet he loves you walking around with the bites of another vampire etched in your skin. He mustn't be to offend, seeing as he hasn't biten you"
" He hasn't bitten you. I can tell you why. It those marks. To us vampires - it is like getting a steak with a bite taken out, disgusting, tainted,worthless. I'm sure you understand. No one wants someone else's thrown out leftovers. "
Me: Okay, Brain. Think about what happens next in this chapter.
Brain: *Skips three chapters ahead*
Me: No, no. This one, this chapter, the one we are writing right now.
Brain:.......*47 scenes forward*
Me: NO
I think if I had a clicky clacky keyboard I'd write 1000x more and better
Always the writer, never the reader.
Apparently it gabe Shaws death day so I wanted to share some angst I thought of
I feel some others might have thought or shared something similar because it seems pretty basic to me but I've never actually seen others say this
But what if the night gabe died he wasn't supposed to be out
The only reason he was out driving was because darlin called him , because they need help
And gave rushed to them, and ends up dead
Darlin still in need calling gabe over and over, before they get a little upset that he lied and wasn't helping them
Until they find out from David that he was in a crash, like 5 blocks away from where they were waiting
Darlin the only one that knows this, and it fills them with guilt to know that if they never called gabe, if they could handle their own problems, if they weren't such a trouble maker, gabe would still be alive.
Uggggg this is so sweet and cute
Sand Dollars
TW - An unnecessary amount of knowledge about Sea Urchins as well as Sand Dollars. And Lasko being Lasko. AN - This was not a fun rewrite, but it was fun nonetheless. WC - 1104
This Wonderful Idea was requested (technically) by @cyanbugremix
The last time they were on the beach was when they were little. Perhaps they felt a connection to the water and the little person that they were walked right into it. Of course, any caring parents would have freaked out- but this wasn’t about that. This was about Lasko and them. Lasko who’d been so freaked out about exam week.
Lasko who had been so worried about everything but himself. The same airhead who wasn’t taking good care of himself. And that bothered you, so a beach day was in need. After all who doesn’t want to feel the sand against their skin? Of course, they made sure to pack sunscreen.
The water was clear, the air salty; Just as they remembered this brought back so many wholesome memories. The little vacation time they get between their busy schedules is always welcome. They especially didn’t mind spending it with their stressed-out partner even if he could be a bit of an airhead.
As they continued to think about Lasko, something in the water brushed up against their leg. What was that? They glanced down and what do you know? It was a sea shell, and the tides must have brought it to the surface.
They’d never seen something like this. It was circular, with some oddly cut lines. There was even a small flower design on it. They had never seen something like this. They’ve seen many different sea shells before but never this. Maybe Lasko knew what it was? Where was Lasko?
They carefully picked up the weirdly beautiful shell now to find Lasko. The last time they saw him; he was searching for something on the other side of the beach. Perhaps he found one of these shells too! Well, they wouldn’t know unless they went to the other side of the beach.
—
Lasko sighed to himself, he could not find a Sand Dollar to save his life. He wanted to give one to his dear. They have stunning shells.. Some funny facts about Sand Dollars they could be considered sea shells, but sand dollars or sea cookies are a type of sea urchin.
Unlike regular sea urchins; their bodies display secondary front-to-back bilateral symmetry. Another fun fact about these snapper biscuits there are no morphological distinguishing features between the females and the males!
He could go on and on about the cool facts about Sand Dollars and sea urchins in general but, that's not why he’s here. He wanted to find one for his dear, the one who was always patient with him. The one who loves everything about him.. And I mean everything.
He took a seat defeated, the blaring sun was starting to become too much. I guess he didn’t take into account how hot it’d be. Though it was said it was supposed to rain today, the sun in the sky didn’t seem to agree with that. But he that was fine for now. Maybe when it cooled down he would continue his search for the runaway Sand Dollar.
But for right now some rest and hydration were in need. Now that he thought about it.. What did Sand Dollars exactly stand for? They hold a deep spiritual meaning, yes, but as for a regular meaning, he didn’t know.
As for spiritual meaning: divinity, transformation, and inner strength. As for a regular or nonspiritual meaning perhaps hope? He didn’t know why but it stuck. Was it possibly the reason he wanted to find one for his water-inclined partner?
Hoping to see their beautiful smile, to see the beauty of their smile outweigh that of the biggest star in the sky. Lasko is a hopeful man, hoping one day he’d stop stammering every five seconds. Perhaps one of these days his wishes would get answered but for now he’d wait.
He’d rest up and enjoy the trip that was offered to him. After all dear didn’t have to invite him, but they chose to. Though he was never good at hiding stuff from them, they’d flash that lovely smile of theirs and he’d crumble like cookies. Thinking about their smile brought a bright pink flush to his face.
And for a moment he could swear he could hear them calling his name. It was getting closer.
‘’ Laskooooo! ‘’
Okay, he wasn’t crazy, he stood up and to his surprise there they were running towards him. It kinda reminded him of a movie scene.. When the protagonist finally gets the one they’ve wanted since the start of the movie. They didn’t seem intent on stopping.
Wait. What.
Before Lasko could react they crashed into him. ‘’ Lasko Dearest are you okay? ‘’
To say the least, Lasko was not okay. He was dazed from the crash on the sand, as well as dazed from his lover's face inches away from his. This was far from the first time they’d been this close. And it would be far from the last time they’d be this close. Yet it was this closeness that flustered Lasko. Time after time.
‘’ y..y-..y-yeah I’m okay! Just.. distracted.. ‘’ the way their hair fell on their face as they lay on top of him was enchanting. This really felt like a scene out of a movie. Actually no, a book. He didn’t think it was possible to fall in love twice but.. Here he was.
‘’ well that’s good, I didn’t mean to knock you over dearest. In fact I wanted to show you something. ‘’ they placed a kiss on his lips before climbing off of the flustered airman. Of course, this action caused him to malfunction but it's okay. Right?
‘’ w..w-w..-well what d..d-did you wa-want to s-s-show me? ‘’ god could he stop stammering for five damn seconds?
‘’ I found this. ‘’ they show him the shell that they found earlier. ‘’ I’ve never seen something like this. And I was wondering if you knew what it was. ‘’ they finished with a smile.
Well, would you look at that? They’d found the Sand Dollar he wanted to give to them. He couldn’t help but break into a fit of laughs. ‘’ I’ve been looking for one of those all day ‘’ the irony was just beautiful.
‘’ well, what is it Dearest? ‘’ they looked at him confused.
‘’ A Sand Dollar ‘’ he couldn’t help but smile. Instead of him finding it for them. They found it for him.
‘’That smile tells me I’m in for a long ride. ‘’ Dear couldn’t help but smile as well,‘’ tell me all about it Dearest. ‘’
‘’ Are you sure.. You..know I talk a lot.. ‘’
‘’ Yes, I enjoy hearing you speak about the things you’re passionate about ‘’
~~~~~
Taglist - @dawnofiight @porters-fangs @achios @sunsickcrab @yournewmusictaste @ashertickler
i’m so serious when i say that asher is THE guy w dyslexia
like the 3rd grade reading level during sophomore year dyslexic
like the text to speech dyslexic
like the ‘only likes calls because sending a text takes 20 mins’ dyslexic
Love the way you write
And id love to be added to the taglist
Bad Habits
Milo Greer/Darlin’, 857 words
CWs: mentions of gambling/addiction, eventual angst, poorly written accents (sorry guys my east coast roots do not rescue this one…), gn pronouns for tank, dasher if you squint, mild cursing
I wanted to make something that wasn’t entirely self-indulgent for once (even though a lot of my hcs for these two separate from this fic are definitely self-indulgent… it’s okay we don’t need to talk about it!!), so here we are! Rather than making one long-winded one-shot, I decided to separate it into multiple shorter chapters to hopefully prolong the eventual burnout that comes with writing after having not done so in so long, so there will be more! I’ll try to make a consistent writing schedule to get me back in the swing of things, so bear with me, it took way longer than it should’ve to finish this. Also, I promise the coming chapters will be longer, I just wanted to set the scene and get a feel for the vibes I was going for, so this just serves as an introduction/backstory naturally. Anyway, now all the disclaimers are out of the way!
Tank was completely, utterly, and foolishly in love.
With Milo-fucking-Greer, of all people.
They don’t know how it happened. All it was supposed to be was a temporary fling.
So, how on God’s green Earth did they find themselves in this position?
-
This situationship from Hell came about during the summer of 2011. Colm Greer was deep in his gambling addiction, and Tank’s parents were having those not-so-quiet behind-the-door conversations about moving back to Washington when they thought they weren’t listening.
David and Asher had turned eighteen just months before Milo and Tank, hardly any time at all; that didn’t stop Asher from lovingly referring to the pair as the ‘babies’ of the group. Neither party enjoyed this nickname, but it was Asher, so there was no way to reverse it until he got bored of it and found something else to entertain himself with.
Despite the many attempts to include them in pack activities, Tank had never felt so isolated. They couldn’t find anything in common with anyone else aside from the fact that they were all shifters, and it only pulled them further away from their (few and far between) attempts to integrate with the others. They found no way for them to relate to anyone.
Well.
Anyone except Milo Greer, of course.
They had never really spoken to him about it, but they knew about his father’s problem. Everyone did. It was something everyone was aware of but knew better than to question because it was a private matter, and Gabe Shaw would ensure it stayed that way for the most part.
Regardless, Tank couldn’t help but be a little bit curious.
Tank had reluctantly agreed to join the trio (plus Christian) on an outing after Asher had practically begged them to come along, swearing that it would be fun, even if they didn’t like going out that much. This one little decision found them sitting alone with Milo Greer while Asher and Christian roughhoused and David supervised from afar.
Despite their internal conflict, they couldn’t stop themselves from opening their mouth to speak.
“Is it hard?”
Milo flinched a little at the sound of their voice. They rarely spoke to anyone when they didn’t have to, so hearing them utter those words was entirely unexpected. “Your- Your dad, I mean.” They clarified before shaking their head. “Never mind, that question kind of answers itself. It’s none of my business, sorry.” They blurted out quickly after, going to push themselves to their feet and move somewhere else.
“Frustrating,” Milo said, causing Tank to halt their movements. “It’s not exactly hard, just… frustrating.” He reiterated. Tank nodded, returning to their original position on the ground. “We’re not as close as I’d like us ta’ be because of his issues, y’know? Like… I look at David and Gabe and can’t help but feel jealous. I wish I had that kinda relationship with my old man.” Milo explained, resting his chin on one hand and picking at grass with the other.
“I get it,” Tank stated, leaning back on their elbows in the grass. “Well, I mean, obviously I don’t. I’m not in your situation. I just… understand that wish for a closer relationship.” They added.
Milo hummed curiously, glancing back at him. Tank’s eyebrows furrowed and they sat up quickly, scanning his expression. “What?” They asked, a frown twisting at the corners of their lips. Milo shrugged in response.
“Nothin’.” He said, pausing for a moment before letting out a chuckle. “You never talk. Asher was startin' to suspect that you were mute.” He said, a small grin forming on his face. “Now here you are, talkin’ my ear off. Asher’s gonna be pissed that I’m the one ya ended up talkin’ to.” He added teasingly.
Tank rolled their eyes, fidgeting with the stem of a dandelion. “Don’t make it a thing. It’s just because I know strained relationships.” They muttered, eyebrows knitting in concentration as they tied the stem into a small knot.
“Alright, alright, I’m just kiddin’,” Milo said, pushing himself to his feet as Asher and Christian finished up their playfight. “I won’t ‘make it a thing,’ but I will take pride in the fact that I sorta broke your shell before Asher did.” He declared jokingly, holding his hand out to help them up. Tank eyed his hand for a moment before apprehensively taking it, pulling themselves up. “And… thanks. Y’know, for asking.” Milo added when they were on their feet. “I don’t like talkin’ about it, but… it’s nice to have someone ask once in a while. Everyone else seems ta’ think I’m gonna explode if they ask me about it.” He mumbled with a sigh.
Tank nodded, dusting themself off. “No problem. Uh… want this dandelion I tied up?” They offered unsurely. They weren’t entirely sure where to go from here.
Milo tilted his head curiously as he took the dandelion, examining it in his hand. “Sure, why not?” He said, shrugging and sliding it neatly into his pocket.
What might have seemed like an insignificant interaction to anyone else ended up keeping Tank up with their thoughts all night.
-
taglist ofc:
@porters-fangs @achios @skunkox
(if u wanna be added or taken off just lmk!!)
Fic for us3rnam3_r3dact3d
A gift-fic for the wonderful @us3rnam3-r3dact3d! Baz requested a fic that featured angst, David/(masc!)Angel, and Quinn attacking then nonconsensually trancing Angel.
Read this oneshot on AO3! (This fic is rated M due to nonconsensual trancing. 18+ only, please!)
I hope you enjoy, my friend!
Idk how most Tumblr writers do it but I write mostly on my phone , meaning my thumb hurrrrtttttzzzzz
Let get food chapter 3 snipping
Not edited at all
“Good boy”
They walked away
Leaving asher blushing and flustered
While they ordered asher tried to calm himself
But every time he felt okay their voice replayed in his head
Praising him
It was a form of torture he was secretly enjoying
When the returned
Full of life and smiling
His heart only beat faster, as his face reddened
“ You okay man? You're not allergic to peanuts are you?”
They joked, they knew asher was very proud of being allergic to nothing
Asher admired their face, so full of color, he wasn't use to it like that, at least not any more
He nervously stammered
“No, no . I'm not allergic to anything.”
He laughed A little
Making darlin laugh
“Well you're all red?”
Asher just continued to laugh in return
Then darlin had a revelation, they took their spit at the table
Leaning over the table to quietly share what they think
“ is it because I called you a good boy”
Asher gave David a lap dance during their bachelor party
Angel and baaabe were in on it and helped asher learn a full choreographed song
Angel kept suggesting stuff that they knew David liked while baabe just so happens to be good at lap dances
No one else knew, every one was shocked and loved it
Exept David ( he loved it but he pretends not to)
I love hate reading my own angst and being like
"Who would write such evil things"
Me, I would
Milo x Darlin' Things
Milo and Darlin', who were a grade below David and Asher.
Darlin', who'd get into fights defending other pack kids behind closed doors.
Milo, who would take them to his ma so they wouldn't get in trouble with their own parents.
Milo, who'd get awkward and stuttered when they made eye contact.
Darlin', who was convinced they were making him uncomfortable at times.
Milo, who kept lending Darlin' the same jacket over, and over again when they made late night 711 runs.
Dariln', who kept washing it and returning it because they couldn't take a hint.
Milo and Darlin', who held hands watching a horror movie that one time at the theater.
Milo and Darlin', who shared Milo's tent because neither could sleep on a camping trip.
Milo and Darlin', who ended up slow dancing to Kristina Perri's Arms even though they technically weren't each other's date.
Love sick Milo, who tries to include them into regular hang outs with the others.
Milo and Darlin', who almost kissed but were interrupted.
Love sick Darlin' who believes Milo is out of their league and distances themselves further.
Darlin is actually quite the cook, they just stopped cooking because Quinn didn't need food nor did he encourage them to eat.
~ 🦇🦑
quinn era darlin content... i lurv...
Hello Redacted Tumblr
I would like to know what other asmr rp creators yall listen to
Specifically, male for non women, so gender neutral or male listeners
Thank you I appreciate it
I could talk about this fic fo a long time, there are so many moments I loved. i don't know if I should right it all out cause people could just read it and find there own favriot parts. oh what the hell
Asher and the pups, like at the begging and the rest, he such a sweetie watching over them ,but also throwing them in. ash loves being the "fun Uncle"
David seeing huxley and instanly becoming worried ( not that he has to be but he just wants darlin to be safe) AND then him realizing he also a big tough and to outsiders scary/intimdating, and fixing his thoughts about huxley size. THEN him saying hed always bet on darlin in a fight, its so cute
Nothing. Everything. I don’t know. Part 2
2nd and final part of the Hux/Darlin fic!
Darlin isn’t sure if they’re dating Huxley or just roommates with benefits and does the unthinkable…they go to David for advice.
Poor Davey.
tags: past abuse, past bad relationships, protective davey, talking about Quinn, angst, hurt/comfort, relationship negotiation
Nothing. Everything. I don’t know. Part 2
David stood at the grill, just out of reach of the splashes from the pool. Asher let some of the kids try to gang up on him, using their collective force to push him right to the edge before he stopped stumbling and just started hoisting them up one after the other and tossing them into the water.
Angel had put a stack of towels on one of the lawn chairs when people first started showing up—knowing that someone always ended up going in that hadn’t planned to.
David was really happy with their home, for them and because it gave the pack someplace to gather outside the den. There was nothing wrong with the den, of course, but it was sometimes a formal setting and sometimes a business setting—not always the best place for relaxing and just being together. His dad had told him that, that it would be his job to be aware of how spaces affected the pack and make sure to give them the right ones to grow in.
Keep reading
An abandoned amusement park, probably unsafe, I'll do something safer tonight
@professionallyyappinabtangst
"oh what's that? "vampire tends to your injuries"? ehhh maybe not"
I’d like to imagine, not for any good reason, that Adam is still alive. But not whole.
Very illogical ramble below:
I’d like to think his decapitated head is sitting far away from his limp body. Adam’s eyes have seen every crevasse of the basement room, he’s counted every brick on the wall, every strand of web spun the the spiders who inhabit the room. He’s watched his blood oxidise and turn into dust. He’s watched his body decay and be eaten by animals who’d stumble upon it.
But Adam’s head still rests there, still alive. Vampires don’t need their heart, what good is blood circulation to an already undead being. They don’t need air, what good are the lungs in his chest. Without his stomach he no longer feels his own hunger. But his mind does. All he knows is the taste of Lovely’s blood, all he craves, all he ever thinks about. One last touch, one last look, one last taste. One drop and he’d be satiated.
He’d wonder if they still said his name instead of Vincent’s, if their cries of ‘no’ still came out as ‘more’, wondered if their blood still tasted like heaven. Oh how he’d relish in the thought.
Adam’s decapitated head still sentient as he hears Bright Eyes and Fred getting attacked by Quinn, Adam hearing Sam turn them, Adam laughing at the irony of it all.
Adam’s decapitated head seeing the light as another vampire hears his laughter. Adam feeling touch as he’s moved from his home on the basement floor.
Adam’s living, seeing, knowing head sitting mounted on a wall as a piece of Quinn’s collection.
Adam wondering, but never asking, why there’s another podium next to him, a named place with no head. Adam reading the name ‘Samuel Collins’ over and over again, wondering who would be placed next to him after all his time alone.
Heheheh
Giggling
Pretty
my angel design <3
Lets Get Food Chapter 2
A brothers best friend fic with Asher x darlin fic and angst
2385 words
id still say this is Pg 13 because it has heavy adult topics but i would not consider it descriptive. I try to be clear with my trigger warning so if you think I should raise my rating or add to the trigger warnings let me know
Tw for this chapter: Extreme exhaustion caused by blood loss, vampire feeding, mentions of rough sex, mentions of sleeping around, scars caused by rough sex, mentions of choking, mention of claustrophobia, mentions of non-consensual choking
i highly appreciate criticism on my writing ,spelling, grammar and story telling. Positive and constructive , so let me know what you think and i hope y'all enjoy : )
tagging @achios @professionallyyappinabtangst
The address attached was familiar.
Asher didn't know why at first, and he was hoping it wasn't someone he knew.
The whole drive, he pondered why he knew this address.
Even after parking and looking out at the place, nothing came to mind.
Until he messaged Darlin, he had arrived.
This is the same place he picked them up last time.
Which had never happened.
There were some places, or people, that they visited more than once, but never in a row.
This one was different.
Asher's mood took a fast dive.
But he didn't have time to think about it as Darlin was pulling on the locked door.
Taking a deep breath and putting on a smile as he unlocked the door
“Took you long enough.”
Darlin's tone made it seem like they had plenty of energy.
But Asher knew to look for other signs.
The shaky hands
Paler skin
The way their face looked like it had no muscles
The heavy breathing
The blinks that were closer to short naps
And of course the marked neck
Normally, Darlin hides a few symptoms at a time.
Today they had all of them.
Once the car door was closed and Darlin was safe in Asher's care, they let the exhaustion take over.
As sometimes needed, Ash leaned over to buckle Darlin in.
The smell of another empowered was strong.
It was abnormal.
Even with the activity and proximity of Darlin and their midnight friends. The scent was never this strong.
Whoever lived in that house wanted Darlin to smell like them.
And Asher had a feeling Darlin wasn't aware of it.
When he finished buckling Darlin in, he pulled up to see the marks on their necks.
It wasn't strange to see the marks; it was actually more weird if they didn't have marks.
But this person
They didn't leave anything to the imagination.
Asher knew Darlin liked it on the rough side.
Just from what he'd seen on their skin and the stories they shared
But this was still something different.
Extreme
There were more bites than needed.
If he didn't know better, he'd assume there was more than one vampire.
then The hickeys
It was hard to tell what was a hickey and what was a bruise.
That was what concerned Asher the most.
The finger bruises that indicated they'd been choked
Darlin was claustrophobic
Darlin doesn't like being trapped.
So it would make sense that Darlin doesn't like being choked.
“Would you stop staring?”
Their eyes weren't even open, but they could feel the intense eyes of Asher.
“Sorry”
He should have left it at that, but he couldn't.
“It's just that you have bruises from being choked.”
Keeping still and with their eyes closed, they replied
“Yeah, that happens when you get choked.”
They were clearly annoyed, but it wasn't enough warning for Asher.
“I know I just sort of thought.”
Then they snapped, at least with their voice, the rest of their body still resting.
“Ash, leave it be. Just drive.”
He whispers a sorry as he starts to drive aimlessly.
Typically that was the plan—drive around till Darlin chose the food that spoke to them.
Asher drove around longer than normal. Darlin kept dozing off, but Asher felt like sleeping after that much blood loss, so he kept shaking them awake.
Eventually, Darlin was able to stay up without Asher's help.
A few minutes later, Darlin said Taco Bell was the place to go today.
When Asher parked, Darlin was still pretty woozy.
“Where’s my sweater?”
Darlin kept an extra sweater in Ash's car, a hooded one to help hide their neck.
They moved their hands around searching with as much strength as they had.
“I've got it, Darlin.”
Then they giggled as Asher reached in the back for the sweater.
He almost didn't believe his ears.
He hadn't heard that laugh in years.
“What's so funny?”
They giggled more.
“That name, it makes me all silly.”
Ash was quite close to their ear when he said it again.
“Darlin”
Darlin closed their eyes, enjoying the sound and the way they could hear that grin.
When they opened their eyes again, Ash was no longer in the car.
He was opening the passenger door, unbuckling them.
They look at him.
Asher felt like a knight in shining armor with the way Darlin's eyes sparkled. At him
He helped Darlin out of the car.
When they got their own standing, Ash unfolded their sweater.
“Can I?”
Ash asked as he presented the sweater.
Darlin nodded and lifted their arms.
Asher pulled the sweater over them, covering the scent the vampire left.
Darlin smelled like them again.
They went into the lobby and ordered their food.
Asher ordered it all, making sure to order 3 times the amount Darlin would typically eat.
He always ordered twice, but he felt today they'd need more.
Darlin stayed silent for the whole thing; they just kept their heads down and ate.
It was around 3 when they finished eating.
Darlin was still clearly worn out.
“I'm going to be honest with you. There's no way we walk in, and David doesn't know something up.”
Darlin's face agreed.
“Maybe, I mean you could stay at my place for the night. Will can tell David we're going to the club. And then later we'll text him that we're too messed up to get to his place, a perfect excuse for us to sleep at my place. Oh, and I've got that whole room for you since Milo moved out.”
Asher was a little excited.
Darlin thought it was cute and mustered up a smile and nod.
And they were off to Ashers.
When they got there, Asher found some clothes for Darlin.
Once changed, Darlin took a nap, which helped them regain a lot of their energy.
While Darlin napped Asher to tidy the place up. His mom always taught him to have a place nice for guests, and he thought Darlin deserved that.
He also found some fuzzy blankets and nice pillows for Darlin, who fell asleep before he could get them anything.
When they woke up, they strolled out to the couch, grabbed one of the fuzzy blankets, and turned the TV on. They wanted to do something with practically no effort.
When Asher finished the dishes, he joined them.
If you could call it that, as he was seated 5 feet away.
They picked a movie and started watching
Asher even made popcorn for Darlin.
He wasn't a fan.
He has no idea why he even had popcorn in his apartment.
As they were watching TV, Asher's eyes gravitated to Darlin's face.
It's amazing what random colors can do.
The way the movie lights cast on their skin.
It was mesmerizing.
At some point, his eyes drifted down to their neck.
He now realized that the shirt he gave them had a wide collar, leaving Darlin's neck very exposed.
And even in the strange light, the marks and brushes on their skin burned in Asher's eyes.
Just as his eyes burned them
They could feel his eyes on them; it wasn't an unfamiliar feeling; people used their eyes to judge them all the time.
It was unfamiliar to know those eyes belonged to Asher.
Asher was the one person they felt would never judge them.
With all that they've told him, he never made them feel wrong.
The most he'd do was cation them without judgment, which was a popular combo.
So feeling those eyes bare into their skin hurt more than ever.
And they weren't known for running away from pain.
“I can feel you staring at my neck.”
Asher choked at nothing, and as much as he knew he should look away, he couldn't.
“I'm—it's just the choke marks.”
Ash explained
“I thought we talked about this.”
Darlin said, but they weren't upset, so safely Asher continued.
“Well, I guess you just never mentioned you liked that stuff.”
Darlin stared at Asher.
He was the one feeling judged now.
making him talk more
“Well, you've been claustrophobic for as long as I've known you; choking seems like it'd be triggering. And like I said, I just didn't know you were into it.”
Not upset but also done with the conversation, Darlin throws a popcorn kernel at him.
“Well, you wouldn't know, because we've never slept together.”
A smirk was on their lips; their eyebrows were up.
Everything said, 'Let's change that.'
Except for their eyes
Hollow
If they let him look longer, he might find fear.
Fear that he realizes he was right
They didn't like being choked.
But it didn't matter; it already happened.
Asher looked into their eyes, Darlin turned away.
They sat and finished the movie.
Asher watched Darlin breathe throughout the rest of it.
Their breathing was only explained as being on the brink of panic.
But he didn't know what to do.
So when they got up to head to bed, he did nothing.
In the morning, Asher got up before Darlin.
Maybe he'd try making them breakfast.
Bad
Very bad idea.
Smoke was the smell that woke Darlin.
It wasn't enough to worry about a fire, but enough to check what was going on.
Emerging from the room, they stood in the open living room staring at a panicked Asher, trying, rushing a pan of, well, Darlin couldn't tell, but he took it to the sink, turning the Faust on before Darlin could stop him.
“What the fuck, Asher?”
He hadn't realized they had seen that.
He looked and smiled at them.
That damn smile
Everyone always said his smile was his best feature.
They weren't wrong.
Darlin walked into the kitchen, grabbed a towel, and turned the water off.
They opened a window and started fanning the pan.
“Go open more windows.”
They instructed Asher, laughing to themselves. Everyone knows Asher can't cook, so why did he even try?
When Asher returned, Darlin scolded him.
“Unless it's an active fire and not a grease fire. You don't need to put it under water, because now your place is full of even more smoke.”
He listened intently, probably because it was Darlin, which he preferred. Being scolded by Darlin over David any day
“Got it. But what's a grease fire?”
Darlin closed their eyes, needing Second to deal with him.
It was even harder because he was so honest and so cute.
Like a golden retriever
They wondered if maybe his relatives were dog-shifter golden retrievers.
After cleaning up and giving Asher a detailed guide on dealing with various fires, the two head out, first for food, then back to David's. Darlin lived there; it was David's place; Darlin didn't pay anything, and David was pretty cool for that.
They parked in the driveway, and Asher moved to get out, but Darlin grabbed his hand.
“These marks are still way too visible.”
They looked at the passenger mirror.
“Even with the hoodie.”
Worry was written all over their faces.
They couldn't find a solution and were actively getting worse.
Asher put his hand on their shoulder before flipping up the mirror.
“I've got it. I'll distract David; you'll rush to your room and apply some makeup; he'll never know.”
And once again, he smiled
There must be a calming agent in his smile because, with that simple plan, Darlin was calm and ready to face David.
Darlin put their hoodie up while Asher held the fast food bag; David couldn't stand it, and that was the distraction.
The two entered, and David was right at the door, probably about to go out.
Asher walked straight to him, holding the bag out to him.
David tried to talk to Darlin, but they were able to get past him as Asher lightly shoved the bag into David's chest.
“Hey buddy, I got you some breakfast.”
Instantly, David was distracted.
“This is not breakfast, Asher. Not to mention the fact that it's 11 am.”
Asher put on a puzzled face.
“so??”
David took a breath and sighed before answering.
“Breathing is a meal you have in the morning.”
“But it's 11 am before 12, making it the morning.”
David couldn't argue that even though 6 am was his breakfast time.
Asher was still holding the bag.
“Come on, David, I bought you food; the nice thing for you to do is at least put it in the fridge.”
David's stoic face stared at Asher's before he took the bag and walked to the kitchen.
As David did so, Asher's phone buzzed, a message from Darlin that his help was no longer needed.
David came out of the kitchen.
“Ash, I'm headed to the gym if you want to join me.”
“I don't have any plans for the day, so yeah, let's go.”
Then they stood there, both wondering why the other hadn't moved. David figured it out.
“Ash, your car is blocking mine.”
“Oh yeah, don't worry, I'll move it.”
Ash left to move his car as Darlin came back out.
Head toward the kitchen.
David called out to them
“Tank, would you grab me water from the fridge?”
Tank moved to do as he asked.
Opening the fridge, grabbing a bottle, and tossing it to him
“You got it, man. But David, why is there a bag of trash in the fridge?”
David came closer.
“What bag of trash?”
“This one”
They lifted the fast food bag out, the one David just put in there.
“What do you mean, 'a bag of trash?’ Are you making a joke about how bad fast food is?”
Darlin laughs as they open the bag.
“No, David, it's a literal bag of trash.”
Just as David saw the truth in the bag, Asher re-entered the house.
Though David didn't know yet
“Why would Asher tell me it was food?”
Darlin made a few goofy faces for Asher.
“I don't know David. You know, Asher is a weird guy.”
A gasp is what drew David's attention to Asher.
“I am not weird.”
David was already over this and decided he no longer needed an answer.
“Tank, please think that away, Ash, let's go. For the record, Ash, you're the weirdest guy I know.”
Asher defended himself as the two left the house.