A Gentle Voice Cut Through The Darkness, But Robbie Was Too Distressed To Hear The Man's Words. He Clutched

Jeyda’s eyes flickered to hers for a moment, almost imperceptible—enough to catch the question but not answer it. His lips tightened, a small shift in his posture, but his gaze quickly drifted to the ground, focusing on the faint crack in the pavement as if it held the answers. He didn’t want to talk about the city. The city didn’t matter. The past didn’t matter. Not right now.

“Yep, new to the building not to the city” he muttered, his voice still rough. He shifted again, ready to end this little exchange, but her smile—her lightness—hung in the air like a tug on his chest. She was persistent. It was almost unsettling considering the harshness he had become used to in prison.

“Though it's been a while since I've been out in the city,” he added, this time quieter. He didn’t know how much more he could give her.

Aylin beamed, her usual sunny disposition not even slightly dimmed by Jeyda’s reticent demeanor. The way his fingers had barely grazed hers when he took the mail did make her pause for a fraction of a second, though. She wondered if he was alright.

"You're welcome!" Aylin chirped, her voice light and airy like the dandelion seeds she sometimes saw floating through the courtyard. She noticed he didn't look at the envelopes, and a small frown tugged at her brow. Legal firm mail wasn't usually cause for celebration, was it?

When his rough, quiet 'thanks' came, Aylin just nodded. She didn't expect him to say more. Jeyda never did. She held his gaze for a moment longer, a gentle, unspoken question in her bright eyes. Maybe he just needed a friendly face, even if he didn't want to admit it.

Seeing him tuck the stack under his arm, Aylin gave a small tilt of her head. "Have you settled in? I know you're new to the building but what about the city?" she questioned curiously.

Kai’s smirk faltered the second he saw the shift in her expression. He hadn’t expected that. He’d meant to rile her up, to keep their game going, not—whatever this was. Not her shutting down, withdrawing, like he’d just snuffed out the fire between them with a careless flick of his wrist.

His jaw tensed, watching her clutch her jacket, the way her lips pressed together like she was trying to hold back more than just words.

“Pia—” His voice came out rougher than he intended, but she was already looking away, already dismissing him, already convincing herself that this was over. And that—God, that didn’t sit right with him.

Before she could take a step, he reached for her wrist again, this time gentler, more deliberate. “That’s not what I meant.” A sigh left him, low and sharp, like he hated having to say this out loud. “You think I don’t—” He stopped himself, exhaling through his nose. His grip tightened just slightly, not enough to keep her there if she really wanted to go, but enough to make her listen.

“I don’t want her, you've got to know that” he admitted, quieter now, but no less intense. “We've been playing these games all night. I don’t get jealous. I don’t—” He ran a hand through his hair, looking away for half a second before locking his gaze back onto hers, something raw flickering beneath the frustration. “But then you make an appearance here in this shitty little club where you clearly stand out, and suddenly, I’m throwing punches in bars and watching every move you make like a fucking idiot.”

His tongue darted out to wet his lips as his grip on her wrist loosened, fingers dragging down her arm before dropping away completely. His expression hardened again, but not before she caught the ghost of something else—something vulnerable, something unguarded.

“So yeah. Go back inside if that's what you want. Go find someone else to dance with.” He tilted his head slightly, dark eyes scanning her face like he memorised it. “But don’t stand here and act like it's not you that I want to take home with me tonight. That’s bullshit, and we both know it.”

of course he was going to twist it to his advantage. couldn't just outwardly admit that he was envious about the fact that she was close to another male, and that she let him kiss her as well. the fact was pia was a pretty confident person, she knew she was fortunate to be graced with good looks and she was content in herself and her own skin, however kai definitely made that waver.

the fact was, his comment didn't make her want to go out there and kiss someone else just to see if he was bluffing, oh no, it made her feel withdrawn instead. he'd officially put a stop to their little game in one fleeting sentence and he didn't even realise it. now she felt dejected and not to mention that she was even more furious with him than she was earlier, which she didn't think was possible.

"oh okay.. fine, have it your way.. you hit him because he was an asshole, right.. cos he was dancing with me, because you didn't seem to know him so that's not a very credible answer. but i am done, kai.. made it clear that i'm not exactly desireable anymore, so i'll save myself embarassment and quit while i'm ahead, hmm?"

she curved her jacket over her arm, her nostrils flaring with clear irritation as she looked away from him for a moment, lips pursed.

"have fun with your peppy little date over there."

Closed starter || @butlerbarrow He dreams of being back in that trench. He dreams of all the bodies of his comrades. He dreams of their hands grabbing at him. Dozens of them were gangly, gaunt, and pale, with an air of death. They pull at him, dragging him down into the mud until he can't breathe. His own hands reach for the surface, clawing at the phantom fingers grasping his body. Everything is cold, black, and silent except for the muffled, anguished screams. Robbie thrashed in the bed.

His eyes snapped open, a strangled cry escaping his lips. He sat bolt upright, gasping for breath, his chest heaving with the terror of the dream. For a moment, the darkness of the room seemed to mirror the abyss of the trench, the silence punctuated only by the echo of his own ragged breathing.

Robbie was back in the convalescent home, the sterile white walls a stark contrast to the dark, muddy grave that haunted his dreams. The bandages on his shoulder and back felt like a second skin, a constant reminder of the hell he'd escaped. His head throbbed a dull ache that echoed the head injury he'd suffered. He could still see the faces of his comrades, their screams swallowed by the deafening roar of the explosion. The smell of cordite and burning flesh clung to him, a phantom stench that wouldn't leave.

Teddie's voice, a mere whisper against the pounding of her own heart, trembled as she spoke. "Seb, I'm so sorry. I didn't know where else to go." Her eyes welled up with tears as she met his gaze. "He... he hit me again. I couldn't take it anymore." The words escaped her lips in a choked torrent, each syllable a testament to the fear and desperation that had driven her to his doorstep. Her body shook as she instinctively wrapped her arms around herself, needing some sort of comfort.

banging on his door this late in the evening was unexpected - sebastian didn't often have much company none the less so late. rolling out of bed he rubs his hands over his face and opens the door to see the other standing before him. "everything okay?" he asked looking them over. // @littledaydreamers

Rory grinned, the kind of easy, lopsided smile that made his fans' knees feel unsteady. "Ember," he repeated like he was trying it out, rolling it over his tongue. "That’s a class name."

She still looked like she might either faint or bolt, and he found himself chuckling, not unkindly—just amused, endeared.

"Big fan, yeah?" he said teasingly, tilting his head slightly. "You sure? ‘Cause right now, you look like you’d rather be anywhere else than here."

He’d actually noticed her. Now he was looking at her. Ember felt the blood rush to her cheeks, warmth blossoming in her chest. Don't be ridiculous, Ember. He probably just thinks you're a weirdo staring at him.

She tried to speak, to conjure up the witty, intelligent greeting she’d practiced a thousand times in the mirror. Instead, a pathetic squeak escaped her lips. Ember cringed inwardly. Smooth, Ember. Real smooth.

Ember finally found her voice, though it was still shaky. "I...I just...I'm Ember. Big fan." The admission felt ridiculously inadequate, a laughable understatement of the devotion that consumed so much of her free time. She wanted to say more, anything to actually start a conversation but she was terrified of saying something even more stupid.

dxrlingdevils​:

“Ohhh right because the two of us together with a bunch of cops sounds like a good idea?” Liam wanted to keep his job and the contract he had with the station and he knew that probably wouldn’t happen if he combined his best friend with alcohol. “Nope, I think we’re definitely talking about you now.” He sighed, reaching for a bottle of water and asprin so he could deal with this conversation. “So tell me, what’s the excuse this time?”

Becca pursed her lips. “Okay, fair, I’ll give you that. It seems you’re off the hook this time.” She replied, still narrowing her eyes at the male before breaking out in a grin. Rolling her eyes, she shook her head. “Excuse you, but my excuses are always good and valid. Just like this time, I had it all planned out to do — I was even on my way there, but then I found a stray dog and I had to help him.”

Brooke leaned into his touch, her eyes closing momentarily as she savoured his warm touch and the feeling of safety, but she knew it wouldn't last, not if DJ had anything to do with it. She blinked away her tears, forcing a smile to her face that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I could never ask that of you. I don't want to be the reason for any harm coming to you Trent"

continued from here for @littledaydreamers

Looking into the other's eyes, seeing the worry that was undoubtedly present in them, Trenton gently cupped the other's cheek with the tilt of his own head. "Brooke," he spoke her name softly, pain laced in his tone as he ached to help the other. Still, he put on an attempted smile in hopes to give the other some courage. "I'm just as good at helping people hide as I am at finding them." Granted it came as a part of his job, but he truly wanted to help the woman in any way he could. "You can be safe with me, I promise."

Open: Females

It was the aftermath of another shift, and it had been a rough one. Quinn had lost two patients in the matter of 12 hours. He'd come home exhausted, both physically and mentally. All the other had done was show concern and yet a screaming match had happened. She’d locked herself in the bedroom while he’d gone to have a cigarette. A few hours had passed when he went back inside, finally hearing the bedroom door open. “I was out of line,” he muttered. “Sorry, I’m so hard to deal with sometimes. I don’t mean to be.”

Kai had spent the last ten minutes leaning against the wall outside, rolling a cigarette between his fingers but never lighting it. He didn’t need it—his nerves were already buzzing, his head already clouded with the scent of her, the weight of their last conversation still pressing against his chest.

And then she appeared.

The town car pulled up like something out of a movie, sleek and dark, a sharp contrast to the warm glow of the streetlights. The window lowered just enough for him to catch the glint in her eyes, that look—knowing, challenging, absolutely fucking intoxicating.

"Get in. Now."

His lips twitched. He should make a comment, something smug about how demanding she was, how she thought she could snap her fingers and he’d come running. Instead, he just tossed the unlit cigarette to the ground and stepped forward, pulling the door open fully before sliding in beside her.

The door shut with a quiet click, sealing them inside, away from the world. The low hum of music filled the space between them. He wasn't used to this kind of luxury. It almost made him a little uncomfortable, but instead, he tried to keep his focus on her.

Kai turned to her, his body angled slightly, one arm resting against the back of the seat as his dark eyes flickered over her face, lingering on her lips.

"So," he drawled, voice low, thick with something unspoken. "What exactly do you plan on doing with me now that you've got me all to yourself?" The male asked, back to teasing her.

all evening she had been first in line to his quippy little comments and actions, it had been an endless cycle of them trying to fluster one another and it had worked especially for pia. she knew that earlier, despite his words that he was envious which is why he kept such a keen eye on her and her every move. she loved that he didn't falter in his gaze, that he was first row at the show that they had created. every move she made was purposeful for his amusement, and with every moment that went by with them one upping one another, it had now come tumbling down.

she wanted him, god did she ever. she couldn't stop thinking about the way his body felt against her own, how he reacted to her, how that low moan sprung out of him as they kissed. she needed him like she'd never needed anyone before. no other male she had met had made her feel a fraction of emotions that he seemed to in a matter of hours.

she couldn't stop thinking about him, feeling the ghost of his lips tingling against her own, the smell of his cologne still inbedded in her senses. the way his touch was firm but gentle all at the same time. even that look in his orbs when he was clearly up to no good. she wanted to keep all of it going, on a loop, over and over again.

yet he managed to say a few words and it all unravelled and he had convinced her that if she DID kiss someone else now he wouldn't actually do anything to stop it and that made her feel stupid for even entertaining the idea.

she exhaled a breath as she looked back at him, her expression was unreadable at this point, what could she be thinking about? she tapped a few letters on her keyboard of her phone and then shot a glance back up to him.

"meet me outside in 10. don't be late."

and with that she was gone, returning ten minutes later as promised outside with her town car. she had instructed the driver to loop around the city, put up the tinted window in the middle and to make sure everything was sound proof and with music playing in the background. she opened the door a fraction giving him a knowing look.

"get in. now."