𝗝𝗢𝗘𝗟 𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗥.

‘ 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘐 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶; 𝘐’𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛. ‘ ✘ 《 𝖱𝖯/ 𝖯𝖠𝖱𝖮𝖣𝖸 | ❷❶+ 》

[𝗝𝗢𝗘𝗟 𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗥. @assholevoice]

𝗜𝗡 𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗘𝗬𝗘𝗦, he’s swimming; in her reassurance, in her 𝘨𝘢𝘻𝘦, as she anchors him again — lost in the sea of his own mind, 𝙨𝙝𝙚 was his life preservation; the one who saved him from drowning. ( 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘨𝘰𝘥𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘯 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦. )

“ Tess . . . “

[* 𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 .ᐟ @BostonSmuggler]

it was then that she retracted her touch from him, instead moving to go around the bench so that she might face him, squatting so that she might be between his legs.

“i’m not goin’ anywhere.”

[𝗝𝗢𝗘𝗟 𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗥. @assholevoice]

𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗗 by her, and their embrace, the tightness in his chest fades; he’s tired, and riddled with 𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙛, but she nurses his jagged edges — like a light in the darkness.

“ . . . What I’d do if somethin’ happened to you. . “

[* 𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 .ᐟ @BostonSmuggler]

a hum escaped her throat as she gently bent to rest her chin on the top of his head, letting one hand rest on his chest from behind, the other working into the muscles of his neck.

“about?”

[𝗝𝗢𝗘𝗟 𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗥. @assholevoice]

𝗜𝗡 𝗦𝗣𝗜𝗧𝗘 of lingering wounds, old and scarred like him, he’d eased beneath her touch; always had, always would — till his old ass was six feet under.

“ . . . 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯’. “

[* 𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 .ᐟ @BostonSmuggler]

she’s spotted @assholevoice resting on a bench just at the edge of the town, and slowly she creeps up behind him, gentle fingers landing to massage his shoulders.

“what’re you doin’ out here all by yourself, big guy?”

[𝗝𝗢𝗘𝗟 𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗥. @assholevoice]

https://t.co/ftkwgKLWJp

Also: follow @smugglingaims and @gristlebones — I’m there too.

[𝗝𝗢𝗘𝗟 𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗥. @assholevoice]

https://t.co/ftkwgKLoTR

A day entirely to myself is rare these days. Life’s hectic. I miss Joel a lot—and his girls. All of you. I’ll be here more. 🤞🏻

[𝗝𝗢𝗘𝗟 𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗥. @assholevoice]

⠀ ⠀ . . . You need somethin’ kid?

[𝗝𝗢𝗘𝗟 𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗥. @assholevoice]

⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀

𝗧𝗛𝗘 whiskey soothed the ache in his heart; don’t mind that he’d emptied a flask before noon — he’s old and 𝙩𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙙. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀

⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀

[𝗝𝗢𝗘𝗟 𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗥. @assholevoice]

⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀

✘ ———

⠀

[𝗝𝗢𝗘𝗟 𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗥. @assholevoice]

⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀

𝗗𝗢𝗡𝗧 ask him why, but he’s damn sure Ellie would’ve squared up with the 𝙀𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧 bunny. ⠀ ⠀

⠀ ⠀

[𝗝𝗢𝗘𝗟 𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗥. @assholevoice]

⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀

≛

⠀

[𝗝𝗢𝗘𝗟 𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗥. @assholevoice]

⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀

✘ @BostonSmuggler

⠀

[𝗝𝗢𝗘𝗟 𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗥. @assholevoice]

⠀ ⠀

𝗛𝗘 just knows Ellie would’ve loved that fruit by the foot; them roll-up gummies with a sugary tongue tattoo — it’s a damn shame. ⠀ ⠀

⠀ ⠀

[𝗝𝗢𝗘𝗟 𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗥. @assholevoice]

https://t.co/ftkwgKLoTR

Life’s too gd busy. I miss you all—and so does Joel. Severe weather warnings here tonight; I hope to be around over the weekend as it clears.

[ً @MORTlSUMBRA]

⠀i'm ⠀a ⠀mess ⠀and ⠀i ⠀will ⠀always ⠀be. ⠀/ ⠀do ⠀you ⠀wanna ⠀stick ⠀around ⠀and ⠀see ⠀me ⠀drown?

[𝗝𝗢𝗘𝗟 𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗥. @assholevoice]

@SCRUFFYOLDTIMER https://t.co/ftkwgKLoTR

𝙏𝙃𝙄𝙎. Preach.

[𝗝𝗢𝗘𝗟 𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗥. @assholevoice]

⠀ ⠀𝗦𝗜𝗫𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗡 𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗦 and a 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘵 of contraband later; @BostonSmuggler is the only one who thawed this old bastard’s cold heart until there was 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙩𝙝 again.