#( bullets && babies | closed timeline )

[yourgirlsarchived]

“I think it’s cool we look alike.” Avery to Edie

Edie grins at her cousin. "It is, though, our styles have shifted enough people will be able to spot if we tried to switch out on them. It was fun that one time, though."

[hgfictionwriter]

Self Control: Part Fifteen - Wedding (Epilogue)

Jessie Fleming x Reader

Summary: Raising a kid certainly derailed your and Jessie's wedding timeline, but after many months, the big day is finally here.

Warnings: G!P content. Oral (J receiving). Fingering. G!P penetrative sex. Possessive language. Preg/breeding kinks. Language.

A/N: Well, everyone, the closing chapter is finally here. To everyone still with me on this journey or those who are new - thank you! I hope you enjoy. Full series is here.

"How are you holding up? I hope you're having a fun night."

Jessie read your message and quietly removed herself from a group conversation to take up a seat on a nearby couch.

"Honestly? A bit overwhelmed lol. Missing you and Riley."

"Yeah, who decided to follow through with these weird traditions of us not spending the night together lol."

"Seriously haha. We can blame my friends for that. But hey - at least we spent the day together, we just aren't allowed to spend the night lol."

"Well...Riley's probably fast asleep with your parents. But, if you want a break from the unrelenting celebrations, there's nothing stopping us from running into each other on a midnight walk."

"I love that idea. Let's do it. Meet over by the dining cabin on the far end of the complex? There shouldn't be anyone over there at this hour. I need probably 10 min."

"Done. See you soon, love."

Jessie realized she was smiling as she put away her phone. She cleared her throat and ran her palms against her thighs as she began to formulate her exit.

Her neutral expression was short lived as her eyes fell upon the three newly inked lines across the wrist of her right hand, more or less a mirror of the ones she'd gotten years prior on her other wrist. These lines though - one for each member of her new family; you, herself and Riley.

"Smiling to yourself the night before your wedding - that's gotta beat sweating bullets and having an existential crisis."

Jessie arched an eyebrow at Janine as she stood.

"Yeah, none of that here," she chuckled as she started to make her way towards the cabin door. "My parents texted. I forgot a bag of Riley's stuff in the car. I'm just gonna go grab that and drop it off at their cabin."

"Oh, I can do that. Stay - this is your night. You can't leave - you're the star of the show."

"Now that has me sweating bullets," Jessie replied dryly with a teasing eyeroll as she grabbed her keys and continued walking. "I'll be back in a bit."

She ignored Janine's persisting rebuttals with a charming smile and a wave as she stepped outside and closed the door behind her. She took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh mountain air as she looked up at a dark sky lit up by twinkling stars and a crescent moon.

She shoved her hands in her pockets and began the trek over to the other side of the complex you and her had rented out for your wedding.

Though both of you would've loved to have little to no fanfare or audience, it really just wasn't feasible no matter how much you tried to trim the invite list. Jessie would've loved simply eloping - going away for a weekend alone and coming back married, but that would've gotten her killed by a multitude of friends and family.

As a compromise though, you wanted to have the wedding be as 'you' as possible, meaning you both found this nice, rustic mountain resort with cabins, hiking trails, a beautiful creek and more as opposed to having it at some fancy venue in the city.

The wedding took a while to get off the ground. What with a baby in the picture and a new club season and international window to work around, all of the effort required to pull a wedding together just fell by the wayside. By the time this day came around, your baby went from a newborn to an 18-month old toddler in the blink of an eye.

The cabin Jessie went to meet you at was dark when she arrived, as expected. It was locked at this hour, but this cabin was far enough away from where all the guests and staff stayed that she wasn't entirely worried about privacy. She went around to the back and leaned against the wall as she waited for you.

She patiently looked up at the constellations until she heard faint footsteps in the distance. A smile crept across her face and evolved into a full blown grin as you rounded the corner, tentatively peeking around.

You put on a mock expression of surprise, a hand to your chest as you approached.

"Oh my gosh. What in the world? I can't believe that you're out here too."

Jessie laughed and mimicked your expression. "No way! So crazy." She shrugged her shoulders. "Oh well, what can you do?" She pulled you into her arms and gave you a kiss. She smiled further as your arms came up around the back of her neck and you leaned fully in.

You rest your forehead against hers and exhaled quietly as the kiss ended. "This is so silly, but I feel like I haven't kissed you at all today. I know we did during all those games and such, but, you know what I mean."

"A real kiss," Jessie answered, knowing exactly what you meant. Doing all of these couples games and people hooting and hollering for you and her to kiss was a bit of a nightmare to begin with, but it also certainly wasn't an intimate, real kiss.

"See? You get me," you said as you gave an exaggerated, contented sigh. "I guess that's why I'm marrying you."

She chuckled and captured your lips in another kiss.

"Yeah, you're pretty much stuck with me," she said. "Pretty hard for you to back out now."

You shot her a withering look and rolled your eyes to which Jessie just grinned.

"Yeah, I'm really dying to get out of this relationship. It's the worst," you deadpanned.

"I knew it," Jessie played along and you rolled your eyes once more, this time pulling back and placing your hands on your hips.

"Well, I mean, I hardly know you," you said slowly, eyeing her up and down before reaching out and letting a finger trail down her chest. "I thought you were such a good girl, but here you are sneaking out at night and breaking the rules." Your eyes met hers and she smirked at the glint she saw in them.

"I can be bad for you," Jessie said rather smugly as she wrapped an arm around your waist and pulled you close again.

"Well," you smirked as you drew teasing circles along her shoulder, "let's keep that between you and me. I'd hate for you to have an early midlife crisis and go through a belated Bad Girl phase. Fucking around and all."

She gave you a look. "You really don't get how much I adore you? Us having a baby together and getting married really hasn't convinced you yet?"

You toyed with her shirt idly, the look in your eyes shifting slightly. "People get married and have kids all the time. It's not a guarantee of anything. Feelings change. Wants change."

Jessie let out a slight laugh, but narrowed her eyes nonetheless. "Well are your feelings or wants going to change?"

"No," you replied simply and easily, holding her gaze.

"Then why would mine?" She challenged lightly, causing your eyes to drift downward towards the ground. Jessie thumbed your cheek gently and pushed your hair behind your ear. "You really don't get it. There's absolutely no one else for me. It's you. Every moment. Every day. There's no competition. I love you so incredibly much. And just when I think I can't love you more, you do or say something that makes me fall even more for you."

Even in the dim light of the moon, Jessie could see the faintest signs of blush on your cheeks.

"Whoa," you joked shyly, eyes still on the ground before lifting them to meet hers. "Save something for the vows."

"I need you to know how much I love you," Jessie said earnestly. She watched you intently and you eventually sighed.

"I know...I just love you so much. I think the world of you and I don't ever want to lose you. I honestly don't know what I'd do."

"You're not going to lose me," she assured you. "It's been years and my friends still make fun of me for how obsessed I am with you. Never mind how whipped," she finished with a smirk, but held your gaze unwaveringly. "You're the one. You're my everything. You're my best friend. The love of my life. The mother of my child. And tomorrow?" She spoke intently, eyes looking down at your lips as she caressed your cheek once more. "You'll be my wife."

The kiss started off slow - just two people in love. Jessie wanted to somehow express how deeply she felt for you and reassure you that she'd always be here.

It wasn't long until the kiss began to grow hungrier, Jessie finding herself slowly being pushed back against the wall of the cabin, both your hands and hers beginning to wander. The sounds of your heavy kisses filling the night air.

"God, I wish we were staying together tonight," Jessie mumbled into the kiss as she felt her pants beginning to grow taut against her. She moaned deep in her throat as your hand came to cup her growing length.

"Maybe we should just go to the honeymoon cabin," you suggested as you two continued to kiss. You dipped your head and began to kiss down her neck. She groaned once more and her eyes fell shut as she attempted to think.

"W-we don't have the keys," she eventually managed. You made a noise of complaint, but continued to caress her restrained cock.

"Well...," you said slowly as you began to undo Jessie's pants. "It's just us out here."

"Babe," Jessie said, half in warning, half in astonishment as you began to kiss your way down her shirt and soon dropped to your knees in the dirt and fully undid her pants.

"What?" You asked teasingly as you looked up at her. "You don't like me on my knees for you?"

A low rumble emanated from her chest as she let her head fall back against the wooden slats of the cabin wall, a blissful grin on her lips as her hand began to run through your hair.

"Jesus Christ," Jessie mumbled, though certainly not in complaint. She looked down at you again with a crooked smile. "You're talking about me being a bad girl - it's your fault. You're the bad influence." She recalled the events of the past couple of years. "Getting me hard in the back of my friend's car and feeling me up, being so fucking sexy that I just have to jack myself off while on the phone with you and getting freakin' caught. Fucking in my parents' basement and in my childhood bedroom while my mom is on the other side of the door. Got me storing a collection of dirty photos of you in the back of the nightstand. Never mind what's in my phone. And now you're about to give me head while we're outside where anyone could see."

Jessie groaned again as you reached into her boxers and released her stiff cock, your fingers trailing teasingly along its length.

"Well. When you put it that way...," you said with a smirk. "But looking at how hard you are right now and the way your cock is already leaking cum for me, I'd say you like it."

She gripped your hair tightly before releasing it and running her fingers through your locks once more. She closed her eyes and nodded her affirmation. "Yeah. You can confidently say I like it."

"Well good," you accepted with a light chuckle as you rubbed her precum across the tip of her cock and teased her a bit more. She moaned low in her chest again and subtly began to thrust into your hand. You smiled. "Hey Jess?"

"Mm?" She asked, forcing herself to open her eyes once more and look down at you. God, you really did look incredible kneeling in front of her with her stiff cock in your hand. You gave her a teasing smile.

"I love you," you said as you took her into your mouth.

"Oh fuck," Jessie said in a low voice as your warm mouth wrapped around her and your tongue teased her tip. You moaned around her cock and she clutched your hair tightly in her hand once more. "Jesus."

She let her head fall back against the cabin and she leaned back, grateful for the structure behind her because of how weak in the knees she felt already. Her breathing deepened as you took her deeper and continued to pump her up and down with your fist.

Her jaw was slack as she finally opened her eyes. What a moment - your head slowly bobbing up and down on her length, looking absolutely gorgeous on this starry night, out in the wilderness on the eve of your wedding. In all of her wildest dreams, she could've never thought this up.

It didn't take long for Jessie to feel that tightening sensation between her legs and it took so much control for her to keep her thrusts gentle, her tip nudging the back of your throat and not pushing deeper.

"I'm gonna cum," she warned you. You moaned, nearly setting her off with the vibration of it, and began to take her deeper into your throat.

Jessie held back a loud moan, a muffled grunt escaping her throat instead as she released herself down your throat, her palm flat against the back of your head as she bit her lips and emptied herself.

You eventually pulled back with a slight cough, your eyes starting to water as you swallowed her load.

"Shit, I'm sorry," she breathed as she looked down at you and leaned down to help you to your feet.

"Don't be sorry," you said with a choked laugh. "It's hot."

She tucked herself back into her boxers and did up her pants. You leaned against her, her arms wrapping around you in an embrace as you both settled. She played with your hair and kissed the side of your face as she came down from her climax.

She felt you sigh in her arms. "I wish we could just go to bed together tonight," you repeated her earlier wish.

"I know," she sighed against you as she ran her fingers up and down the back of your neck. You shivered against her.

"Cool it," you said as you shrugged her hand away. "I'm already worked up."

"Yeah?" Jessie asked, peeking one eye open and looking over at you, a devilish smile beginning to form. Her hand drifted down your body until she reached the top of your pants. You didn't protest as she began to unbutton them, instead only moaning and gently rolling your hips against her.

Any drowsiness she felt in the haze of her orgasm quickly dissipated and she flipped you both so you had your back against the wall of the cabin. She dipped her head down and began gently sucking on the sensitive skin of your neck. You gasped softly, fingers digging into her crown as she did so and it drove her crazy.

Despite her recent climax, she felt herself growing hard once again as you quietly mewled in her ear and rolled your hips against hers. She felt a rush of arousal come over her, her body tensing up as she resisted the urge to truly pin you against the wall and have her way with you. She subconsciously sucked harder on your neck.

"Jess!" You hissed, bringing her back to the moment. She blinked, pulling away in confusion as you slapped a hand to your neck and stared wide-eyed at her. "The night before our wedding?! Really?"

Jessie stared at you a moment longer until you lifted your hand away, revealing the initial signs of a hickey. She cowered slightly, heat rushing to her face but she couldn't stifle the laugh that escaped either. She stared at it and eventually gave a half-hearted shrug.

"You're going to be wearing makeup," she offered before laughing once more. Her smile turned into a grin. "Besides, everyone already knows you're mine anyway."

Your eyes flashed and you leaned forward, latching onto her neck and sucking hard. You pulled back a moment later with a very satisfied look on your face as Jessie was now the one to cover her neck with a palm.

"What the fuck!" She hissed in return. "I'm not wearing makeup tomorrow. How am I supposed to cover it up?" She gave a disgruntled noise of complaint and you simply shrugged haughtily.

"They can photoshop it out. And now everyone will know you're mine as well."

"Oh my God," Jessie said, her mild irritation waning and quickly shifting to affection. She grabbed your hands and pinned them above your head. Her cock pulsed at the wicked grin you gave her as you held her gaze. "I gave you my baby. I gave you my ring. And now my name, too. I don't think anyone would've doubted I'm yours."

You looked upward in mock contemplation before smirking at her. "You can't blame me for wanting to stake my claim on you," you said as you rolled your hips against her once more causing her eyes to drift shut as an all too fleeting wave of pleasure rushed through her.

Despite Jessie pinning your hands above you and seemingly being in control, it fooled neither of you - you were very much in control. No surprise. And she didn't mind at all.

She released one of your hands and reached down to cup your heat through your underwear. She let out a low moan of approval at the dampness and radiating heat she was met with there. She pushed your panties aside and ran two fingers through your slick folds. A grin crossed her face as your knees buckled and you melted into her embrace, clutching her closely and gasping in her ear.

"God, you are so wet for me, baby," she said as she relished the feeling of your wet folds, clit and sopping entrance. Her cock strained painfully against her boxers and pants as she slipped two digits inside of your entrance. You gasped further and let yourself fall into her waiting hand.

"Fuck," you whispered as you gripped her curled fingers. She withdrew them slightly and pushed inside once more, the sounds of fingers moving through your arousal filled the otherwise quiet night air and Jessie's jaw dropped in amazement.

"Holy fuck. You are soaking and you sound so fucking good. Oh my God." She ground out the last part and couldn't help but grind herself against your thigh.

"Jesus Christ, Jess," you panted already as you rocked into her hand. "I want you to fuck me."

"Babe," she said as she buried her face into your neck, rolling her head against you in want as she felt your core accommodating the girth of her fingers. She could feel the ridges and curves of your walls as they fluttered and flexed around her and her cock twitched as she continued to slowly grind herself against you for some semblance of relief.

"God, Jess. I know you want me too," you said as you shook off her hand and reached down to cup her once more, massaging her firmly through the taut fabric.

"I didn't bring a condom with me," she said as she slowly thrust against your palm. "They're back at my cabin."

You exhaled heavily though you didn't stop the gyration of your hips or the movement of your hand. You ran your other hand through her hair.

"Sorry I didn't think to bring one - I didn't exactly anticipate this," she said.

"Well, stop being so sweet and romantic - meeting up in the middle of the night out in the moonlight and telling me how much you love me. If you stop doing that and stop being so attractive then maybe I'll stop spreading my legs for you."

Jessie let out another low moan and her grip tightened on you. Soft noises of want and need came from you both for several moments until you finally spoke.

"Riley's 18 months old now," you started. "The doctor said we're in the clear to start trying again if we wanted to."

A low growl rumbled up Jessie's through as she pushed her fingers deeper inside of you and ground her hips against you harder. You let out a breathy chuckle.

"I know you've been dying to fuck me without a condom again," you teased.

"Oh my God," Jessie muttered as she began to hump you a touch faster. "Don't tempt me. I'm not fucking kidding."

"Who says I'm kidding?" You said breathlessly as you dug your fingers into her crown once more.

"I'm serious," she said through nearly grit teeth as her free hand dug into the small of your back and pulled you tightly against her. "If you tell me we're trying again, you're leaving here with baby #2 inside of you." She forced herself to take a deep breath. "If you aren't ready, it's fine. I can sneak back to the cabin and get a condom."

"And what if I don't want you to?"

Jessie moaned, legitimately worried she was going to bust in her pants. "Then I'm fucking a baby into you tonight."

You didn't say anything. Instead, you shifted, Jessie pulling back to look at you only to see you shimmying your pants and underwear down your legs. You nodded to her and she immediately began undoing her pants once more.

Your pants and underwear fell into a heap on the ground, Jessie's barely dropping down around her ankles before you wrapped your leg around her waist and grabbed her bare cock, positioning it at your entrance.

Jessie didn't hesitate in sinking inside of you, sliding in to the hilt right off the bat. A wanton moan escaped you, probably louder than either of you intended or wanted, but you were both so far gone that it went unnoticed and Jessie began thrusting in and out of you with a level of urgency and desperation that might've embarrassed her in the past, but the way you gasped and clawed at her it only egged her on.

"I love you so much," she panted into your ear as her wet strokes filled her ears.

"I love you too," you whimpered in return as you bounced on her cock, your shirt the only thing keeping your back from getting scratched up from the cabin walls.

"Jesus Christ, I'm going to cum already," Jessie said a short while later. She panted, forcing herself to refocus for a moment to look you in the eyes. "Are you sure?"

"Cum inside me. I want you," you told her.

She needed no further encouragement and a few strokes later was pushing inside of you as deep as she could, spilling herself with a shuddering breath. She whimpered as strings of cum continued to shoot out of her and into you, coating your insides with her potent seed.

"Fuck," she breathed as she slowly drew her hips back. She looked down, seeing a mixture of your cum and hers along her cock before she pushed back inside of you, loving the way you moaned at the motion.

You stayed in one another's embrace for as long as you could before you both agreed that you should head back to your respective cabins. You reluctantly put on your clothes and walked back towards the guest cabins hand in hand.

You reached yours first and Jessie walked you up the steps to the door, no longer caring if someone saw you two together.

"Aww, it's like a first date," you said facetiously with a chuckle as you wrapped your arms around her and she kissed you. She leaned into your ear and whispered.

"Yeah, except this time my cum's deep inside of you and with any luck you'll be carrying my baby soon."

You blushed and swatted at her.

"Stop," you hushed her as she grinned at you. You relented with a brief shake of your head. "True though." Jessie continued to grin devilishly at you and you gave her another playful shove. "K. Get to bed, you heathen. You have a very important event tomorrow and you better not be late."

She kissed you again. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

---------------

Despite Jessie's exceptional dislike for attention, she felt calm and elated as she stood with you at the alter in front of all your friends and family and said your vows to one another.

The ceremony was lovely. The tears started early. First being when her mom came out with Riley; Riley in her dress and Jessie's mom's at the ready as Riley waddled down the aisle as she haphazardly threw handfuls of petals on the ground, straight up into the air - sometimes at the guests - dropping the basket entirely as she spotted Jessie and ran towards her, clutching her leg tightly.

"Up! Up!" Riley asked and Jessie glanced to her mom. She was supposed to sit with her mom and dad during the ceremony. She looked down at her little girl - with her curly, dark hair, brown eyes and bright red cheeks - she really was Jessie's kid. She bent down and picked her up, holding her against her hip.

"You look so pretty, my girl," Jessie whispered to her as she kissed her forehead. She pointed towards the crowd. "Let's wait for momma, okay? She'll be here soon."

She couldn't keep her eyes off of you. She started crying the second she saw you in your dress. It must've surprised Riley, because the little one just clung to her harder and buried her head in her neck.

"My two favourite people," you cooed as you came up, kissing Riley on the cheek and cupping Jessie's face to give her a quick peck. You made a face immediately after. "Oops, am I not supposed to kiss you yet?"

"Who cares," Jessie laughed as she handed Riley over to you, the toddler reaching for you as you stood across from them.

"Hi sweetie," you said as you took her. "Did you know mommy would've never asked me to marry her if not for you?"

"What!" Jessie protested in as hushed a tone as she could muster. She could feel her cheeks heating up already. "Of course I would've!"

"I'm just kidding," you told her. You laughed at how flustered Jessie was and gave her a wink. "We're off to a good start."

You handed Riley to her grandparents and the ceremony continued, culminating with you slipping new bands on each other's fingers and sharing a kiss that had everyone cheering and clapping.

Considering how some wedding receptions were, yours and Jessie's was pretty tame - at least for you two.

Even though it was probably overkill, you'd switched to non-alcoholic, coming up with creative excuses as to why and Jessie was simply never much for drinking in the first place. Though, her friends did manage to get her to do a couple of shots that left her cringing and coughing as you watched on and laughed.

Jessie was chatting with some of the guests when she heard her daughter's laugh followed by thundering, but clumsy, footsteps as she ran through the crowd, people nearly tripping over themselves to avoid bumping into her. She'd discovered a few weeks ago that she could run - or something akin to it - and she'd been nonstop ever since.

Jessie laughed as suddenly you emerged from a group and picked Riley up mid-run. She pouted and flailed momentarily, but whatever you said to her caused her to relax in your arms. Jessie excused herself from conversation and smiled as she approached you two.

"Look who's here," you said as you looked down to Riley and pointed to Jessie.

"Mommy!" Riley exclaimed, beaming upon seeing Jessie.

"She's having a field day out here," you said slyly to Jessie with a teasing look. "Running any chance she can get. Cheeks extra rosy from running around. And look at that smile," you said as you gently poked your daughter's cheek, eliciting a giggle from her. You looked at Jessie pointedly. "She's certainly your daughter."

Jessie took a moment to kiss Riley before leaning in to whisper in your ear.

"She better be mine," she teased. You pulled back with a smirk before leaning in to whisper back.

"What? You wouldn't want me carrying and having someone else's baby?"

Before Jessie could respond, you were walking away, eyes glimmering playfully. She called after you.

"No. I'd despise that!"

You turned and shrugged, earning a dangerous look from her. You grinned and grasped Riley's hand to give Jessie a small wave before disappearing into the crowd knowing full well that conversation wasn't over.

A short while later, Jessie found herself getting pulled out onto the dance floor by you. She grumbled in protest, but allowed you to push and pull her as you wished as you danced to whatever song was playing.

"You're my wife. You're supposed to be happy about dancing with me," you teased.

"I'm happy to be with you. I just don't like dancing," Jessie refuted as she half-heartedly tried to dance along, though was always half a beat - or more - behind.

"You didn't seem too bothered dancing with me when we were at that club on New Year's a few years back," you said with a glint in your eye. "Mind you, probably not appropriate for here."

Jessie's mind flashed back to you grinding up on her. In a sea of people, she was solely focused on you and how incredible you looked and that it was her you were with. True - not appropriate for here. She gave you a lopsided smirk either way.

"I wouldn't be opposed," she joked though her eyes raked up and down your body in appreciation. "And you look even more gorgeous than you did that night."

"Yeah?" You asked as you moved in close and Jessie wrapped her arms around your waist.

"You better cool it," Jessie warned in a murmur as her eyes drifted away. "I don't exactly need wedding photos of me sporting a boner."

You cleared your throat, drawing her eyes back to you. "Well, your daughter did ask for her light up running shoes. Those are back at the cabin."

Jessie's eyes studied you for a moment as a smile crept across her face.

"Oh. Well, we should definitely go get them. That's what good parents would do."

"Absolutely," you agreed.

You both looked around briefly to ensure no one was watching either of you too closely before Jessie grabbed you by the hand and led you out of the hall. The sun was setting as you two walked the paths back to the guest cabins. She retrieved the skeleton key from her pocket and showed it to you.

"And we can get into the honeymoon cabin this time," she told you proudly and you laughed, wrapping your arm around hers and cuddling in as you walked together towards the cabin.

You were kissing each other as you stumbled through the door and slammed it shut behind you.

"Pretty sure we're supposed to wait until the end of the night for this," you chuckled as Jessie was already starting to undo her dress pants.

"Well, we've done a lot of things out of order," she dismissed with a grin as she kissed your neck and guided you towards the couch. "And who's to say we're not going to do more later."

She kissed your lips and made sure the kiss didn't break as she took a seat on the couch and pulled you down on top of her. She bundled up your dress and lifted it so it was out of the way and she could have access to your underwear. She ran her fingers along the fabric and felt herself growing harder as she could feel the warmth and definition of your lips through the thin fabric.

"Fucking me during the reception," you teased as you kissed her deeper. "Gosh, I really am a terrible influence on you."

"Fuck no," Jessie disagreed with a wily smirk. "You're the best." She lifted you off of her to stand for a moment as she removed your underwear. She grinned as she tucked them into her pocket.

"I've created a monster," you joked as you pulled her cock out from her boxer briefs and straddled her waist once more, bracing yourself on her shoulders as you held yourself up as she poised herself at your entrance.

She ran the thick head of her cock against your entrance, getting it coated in your juices before she began to gently nudge at it and push inside. She moaned in pleasure as your tunnel slowly welcomed her, enveloping her length as she inched inside of you.

"Fuck. I'm so glad I can ditch the condoms again. God." She exhaled through her mouth as she looked you up and down. "Nothing feels as good as being inside of you like this. Nothing between us."

"God," you said as you tossed your head back and ran your fingers through her hair as you sunk down onto her and slowly rose back up. "I'm not kidding you - I've soaked through these panties more than once today thinking about last night. That was so fucking sexy."

Jessie growled as she began kissing down your neck and as much of your chest as your dress would allow.

"I noticed you're not drinking tonight," Jessie commented. "Think I knocked you up that fast?"

"You did last time," you chuckled as you began to ride her at a steady rhythm, her tip stretching out your entrance, teasing her, before swallowing her once more.

Jessie exhaled heavily - already feeling overwhelmed by the way you felt around her, the way you looked bouncing up and down in her lap - in your wedding dress no less - and the way your hands explored her.

"Y/N Fleming," she declared as she pulled you into a hard kiss. "Can't believe I've waited so long to make it official. To have you take my name." She rolled her hips up into you as she pulled you down into her lap. "Fuck. You're all mine."

"Oh God," you whimpered, head thrown back once more and eyes closed. "I'm yours. And you're mine."

"Always," she affirmed with zero hesitation. Her mouth hung open as she worked to steady her breath. She could feel blood rushing to her face and knew her cheeks were red with exertion. She shook her head. "I can't believe there was ever a time before you."

"Same, baby," you reciprocated as you looked down at her, cupping her face as you sensually rocked atop of her.

Despite your agreement, Jessie felt a rush go through her. She tightened her grip on your hips as began to buck up into you from below. She spoke through nearly clenched teeth.

"I hate that anyone was ever with you," she said. "You were made for me. They didn't deserve you."

Your eyes fell shut again and you leaned into her, your hands gripping her shoulders. "Holy shit. No one's ever fucked me like you. Or loved me like you."

Jessie snickered smugly, the sound of her hips bouncing off of your thighs resounded loudly in her ears.

"Well no one could ever make me feel like you do. I'm so lucky I met you."

"Jess," you whimpered as your body collapsed into her and you held her tightly. "I love you so much."

Jessie grunted as you rode her, your walls flexing and massaging her in the most exquisite way. She began to buck into you faster and her breathing grew ragged. You clutched her and she looked up to see your own cheeks rosy and your mouth slightly open as you pleasured one another.

"I can't wait until I start swelling with your baby again," you panted and Jessie's eyes slammed shut to the point of wincing as she fought off her climax. She wanted you cumming all over her cock before she flooded you.

"Jesus Christ. You are so sexy. I couldn't keep my hands off you last time. I never can - but God you look incredible carrying my baby." She grunted as she nearly came. "My gorgeous wife. So fucking beautiful."

"Don't stop," you begged as your orgasm neared. She watched you steadily as your expressions changed and you panted and moaned.

"My gorgeous girl," Jessie praised. "You look perfect bouncing up and down on my cock like this. And soon you'll be walking around this wedding with my cum dripping down your legs."

"Oh shit," you gasped as you began to convulse around her cock. Your movements stilled, fingers digging into her shoulders as your orgasm shook you. The way your softness spasmed around her, Jessie had no hope of fighting off her climax further and let out a whining grunt as she released inside of you.

"Oh, fuck, Jessie," you panted as she began to rut into you, shooting string after string of her cum inside of you.

You collapsed in her arms on top of her as you both panted and worked to regain your breath.

When you finally went to climb off of her, you both maneuvered yourself in a way that tried to limit how much of her cum was going to spill out onto her pants. Even then, your disappearance from the reception was extended further as you both worked to clean the cum off her pants before you made your return. Eventually, you gave up and Jessie got changed into a different outfit - people would believe she wanted to get into something more comfortable. You followed suit and got changed as well.

You returned to the hall and though you both received a few comments about your costume changes, all in all your absence was met with minimal questioning. Riley was thrilled to get her light-up shoes and immediately went stomping around the dancefloor squealing with delight.

Jessie continued to mingle with friends and family, as did you, and the night wore on. But it was really only a matter of time until a familiar cry soared over the music and din of the crowd.

Jessie frowned, excusing herself from a conversation and headed in the direction of her daughter's cries. She spotted you navigating the crowd and you caught each other's eye. When you both found Riley, she was red in the face, tears staining her cheeks as her grandparents tried to soothe her.

"What's going on?" Jessie asked as she approached, kneeling down in front of her as her dad bounced Riley on his knee.

"She just started asking for you both and got upset that you weren't here," he answered.

"Oh, Ri," Jessie said as she picked up her daughter and began to bounce her in her arms. She looked to her dad. "She's probably just tired. I know she had a nap, but it's been a big day." She looked down at Riley and spoke softly, "Are you tired, sweetie?" Riley wailed louder, her little hands bundling Jessie's shirt in their grasps, but as Jessie kissed her forehead her cries tapered. "I know it's been a long day. I understand - I need a break, too," she chuckled. "You've done so well."

Riley sniffled, her little shoulders hitching as her cries ebbed. Jessie signaled to her parents that she'd handle it. She and you took Riley over to a quiet corner of the hall. Jessie sat down, resting Riley in her lap and kissed the top of her head.

"She should really go down for bed," you said as you rubbed her back.

"Her and me both," Jessie said dryly with a smirk. "I'm exhausted." You played with her hair and kissed her cheek.

"And you didn't get a nap," you joked and Jessie gave you a playful sidelong glance. You rest your head on her shoulder. "Are we allowed to leave before the guests?"

"I think that's a bit of a faux pas, but honestly, I'm very tempted," she said as she eyed the room and contemplated the option. She looked down at Riley whose eyes were heavy as the toddler hung onto the precipice of sleep. She then glanced over at you. "I mean, everyone here knows neither you or I are big partiers. And, we have a toddler to look after..."

You chuckled, tucking a strand of Jessie's hair behind her ear. "I mean, your parents are happy to look after Riley and she's supposed to be staying with them again tonight."

"But she wants us," Jessie said with a pointed glance downward at their daughter who was resting very peacefully in her arms now. "Clearly."

You leaned over and kissed Jessie's cheek. "You know? I'm sure everyone will forgive us if we duck out."

------

A short while later, Riley was asleep in the middle of the king size bed in your cabin with Jessie laying next to her in a t-shirt and shorts, you climbing into bed in your pyjamas on the opposite side.

"Is this what you would've pictured for your wedding night years ago?" You teased as you lay propped on your side looking across Riley and over at Jessie who mirrored your position.

"Stone cold sober, party still raging on at the reception, and my toddler fast asleep between me and my new wife?" She asked with a lopsided grin, her head in her hand. "No. But I adore it." You snickered and gently pushed down Riley's rogue curls as she slept.

"Same," you said.

"We have a beautiful family and we're very lucky," Jessie mused as she carefully leaned over to give you a chaste kiss. You smiled into it and laid a hand on your stomach as Jessie pulled back.

"And maybe there'll be four of us soon enough."

A/N: That's all, folks! I can't thank you enough for joining me on this ride. What started as a one-shot I was super nervous to post, has been embraced by so many of you and you've allowed me to create and share this love story with you all. It truly means so much. Thank you!

[effetsecndaires]

— 𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤.

PAIRING | manjiro sano x fem!reader.

CONTENT WARNING | smut, pregnancy, bonten timeline.

NOTE | I know the pregnancy trope isn't everyone's cup of tea and I could see it with the poll, but I had to make a decision 🥲 enjoy! wc: 1,2k

“You’re upset.” Mikey whispered, his voice slightly muffled against your damp hair. "Talk to me."

"I'm not upset." you spoke lowly, staring at your knees that poked out of the water.

Mikey tucked some of your hair behind your ear, placing a lingering kiss to your temple.

"Don't lie to me."

One of his hands moved to rest on your stomach, his thumb beginning to trace random patterns on your bump which was growing more and more each day. You sighed in response to his touch, closing your eyes.

"You know why I'm upset, Mikey." you eventually answered, allowing yourself to relax a bit more in his arms, straightening your legs underwater as the warm water relaxed your muscles.

You remained quiet for a moment then opened your mouth as if to speak, only to pause again. Mikey kissed your cheek to encourage you and after some time, you collected your words.

"I'm just scared." you admitted quietly.

Mikey frowned, waiting for you to continue. "I'm scared that one day I'll wake up to a call from one of your men telling me that you’ve been arrested, injured, or worse. I'm scared that one day i'll have to raise my child alone because you've been taken from me." you explained, releasing a shaky sigh. "I'm just sick of living with the fear that every day we spend together might be the last."

Mikey placed a finger under your chin as you spoke, making you look at him. He wanted to say something but you cut him off before he got the chance.

"You've been playing with fire ever since you pushed Draken away all those years ago. He was the only one capable of keeping you on the right track." you said, marking a pause as you stared into his tired eyes. "You're digging your own grave Mikey, and it's only a matter of time before someone puts a bullet in your head." You snapped, freeing your chin from his grip and turning your head to stare at the water again.

Silence fell over the room at the mention of Draken, a soft sigh leaving Mikey's lips while you closed your eyes again to try to rid your mind of the toxic thoughts.

You eventually broke the silence after a moment, swallowing to hold back the lump in your throat. Your hand came to rest on your belly, hoping to feel a kick from your baby to bring yourself some comfort.

"I'm sorry." you mumbled, choking up. "I... I shouldn't have said that. It's just, I don't know what I'd do if—"

"Shh." Mikey interrupted your rambling, a quiet sound of surprise escaping your lips as he guided your jaw and leaned down to kiss you. When you parted from the kiss, a tear had rolled down your cheek. "It's alright." Mikey murmured. "Nothing's gonna happen to me. I promise."

"Let's run away, Manjiro." you said,completely dismissing him and turning slightly so you could look at him, reaching out to place a hand on his cheek. "Let's move to Europe, or America. Somewhere new. Away from trouble, away from everything we know. Just you, me, and the baby." you begged.

Mikey inhaled deeply. There's a chance he was getting frustrated with this conversation, but you didn't care. You had every right to be upset, scared even.

"You know that's not possible." he said, his right hand trailing lower down your stomach. You were about to protest but Mikey cut you off with a kiss, probably to shut you up. You sighed against his mouth and jerked slightly in surprise as his hand dipped between your legs, his middle and ring finger finding your clit and rubbing it in circles. He set a slow, sensual pace, his main goal being to relax you. Almost out of instinct you spread your legs until your knees hit the sides of the tub, granting him easier access.

"Now be a good girl and stop worrying so much, hm...? I know what i'm doing." he murmured, your soft whimpers and sighs of appreciation prompting him to continue. You began to squirm, your hands gripping onto his arms. "I won't get arrested, I won't get injured, I won't die. You're not getting rid of me anytime soon."

You know he's lying. Mikey doesn't have everything under control like he claims he does — far from it. He's exhausted. He's sad. He's distant. He's only saying this because he wants to be done with this conversation and he doesn't want you to worry.

You released a shaky breath, reaching behind your shoulder to tangle your fingers in his silver hair, deciding not to say anything. You gasped when he slipped a finger inside of you, his thumb simultaneously flicking the bundle of nerves between your thighs.

“So beautiful.” Mikey whispered to himself, pushing in another finger. You began to squirm, the movement causing you to slide a few inches down into the water. "Do you have any idea how long I've dreamed of seeing you pregnant?” Mikey whispered in your ear, pausing to take your lobe between his teeth and nibble gently, “To finally see this beautiful bump. I can't wait for it to be all big and swollen from my baby growing inside of it."

“God— Mikey.” you breathed out, your hips instinctively lifting as his fingers rubbed calculated circles into your clit.

“Fuck, say my name again.”

You did as you were told, his name leaving your lips in a whimper. Mikey's free hand moved upwards and cupped your breast, his thumb toying with your erect nipple. You arched your back further, your lips parting as you panted and moaned, the water beginning to splash over the edge of the bathtub. Mikey's erection was pressing against your back, the friction caused by your squirming making him groan.

"Don't stop," you cried out, grabbing his arm that was wrapped around your body and digging your nails into his skin. "Oh fuck, Mikey, right there," you moaned loudly, your eyes fluttering shut as the pressure built up in your belly, your walls clenching around his fingers. Your hand fisted in his hair and you tilted your head to kiss him, muffling your moans that were getting louder by the minute. He pumped his fingers and rubbed your clit until you were a whimpering mess underneath him, begging and pleading for him not to stop, as if he would anyway.

“Come for me, princess. Wanna make you feel good.” He whispered softly against your lips. You moaned loudly as your orgasm took over, your back arching away from his chest and legs spreading as far as they'll go while Mikey pumped you through your high, never relenting until you slowly came down.

He eventually removed his fingers, using them to circle your clit a couple more times before bringing his hand back to your belly and kissing the side of your head lovingly.

The sudden absence of sound left your ears ringing, only heavy panting and the gentle pitter-patter of waterdrops touching the water filling the air. You started to relax again in Mikey's arms, you body thoroughly spent.

The two of you stayed wrapped up in each other for a while despite the water having turned cold, enjoying the rare moment of intimacy you were currently sharing, not wanting to let go just yet.

[cogentranting]

I've been very negative to Umbrella Academy season 4 so far, and overall I didn't like it BUT here are the things I DID like (spoilers)

Lila and Diego naming their daughter Grace

Klaus and Allison looking out for each other at the start and Klaus being close with Claire

Luther's general happy-go-lucky attitude, bless his heart

Five as a CIA agent

Sparrow Ben being a crypto scammer (especially in a world that still has rotary phones)

Diego's one really cool moment of flipping through the air and pulling the hail of bullets around him and then shooting them off in different directions

Luther's hair. Very floofy.

Ben and Jennifer's meet-cute

Diego and Luther's excitement over beating up the CIA team

"Obviously we're meant to be together. Me with my tentacles. You, the miracle squid girl." 10/10. One of the greatest lines of dialogue ever written.

Diego's realization about taking his family for granted and coming home and embracing his in-laws and being enthusiastic about his wife and kids. Far too short, but a good place for him.

Diego somehow managing to hold onto those 3 reindeer through everything.

The suggestion that Tom Holland exists in this universe

The moment of Allison saving Klaus and them hugging with him saying "you came for me"

The reveal of how original Ben died and the reaction of all the siblings to it. Genuinely very shocking and emotional.

the timeline subway concept was cool

Baby shark

the happy ending for the side characters, especially Hazel and Agnes.

the cats in the CIA office

Luther's little elevator fight scene

Validation for Luther's moon mission

the ending use of "I think we're alone now"

[dazed-and-confused23]

Can I please request a fic where Dusty the Deathclaw has a close call? Like maybe the Enclave or the Brotherhood of Steel, or raiders, got in a lucky shot on Dusty’s belly. And this DEVASTATES the reader enough to go full John Wick on the person who shot Dusty, even to the point that Cooper is like “Oh Damn”. Cause they hurt the WRONG wasteland baby!

Dear Hearts and Gentle People 17

I had a lot of fun with this one and it gave me an excuse to head down to the Capitol Wasteland. Ignore the janky timelines ❤️

*so sorry that this took a while to get out. Life does a good job of getting in the way sometimes @odditycircus-2002. I hope you enjoy! ❤️*

Masterlist

You aren't a fan of the Capitol Wasteland. The weather is shit, and she and Cooper had been shot at no less than eight times in the two weeks they'd arrived. This pocket of the wasteland felt even more dangerous to be in, especially with the rumor of a slaver group in the area. You and Cooper had agreed to avoid them as best you could, but that still left the rest of the factions the two of you needed to keep an eye out for.

The BOS left the three of you alone for the most part whenever they happened to cross your path, Dusty had even made a friend with the dark skinned lady named Cross. Raiders were raiders, but the problems really started when she and Cooper stumbled across another group. The Enclave.

Even after the destruction of Raven Rock, pockets of the old world faction still remained. The day was coming to an end when laser fire suddenly accosted the trio of wanderers. They dove for the cover of nearby rocks and grab for their own weapons. Dusty roars loud enough that your ears ring and charge ahead, furious milky eyes zeroed in on the men in suits of power armor.

"Fuck. That's the Enclave," Cooper snarls beside you, and you whip around to stare up at him in horror. Out of all the factions that they could have run into, it had to be one of the most dangerous ones. They were righteous zealots who dreamed of wiping the earth clean of all mutated creatures.

This was the one faction that would have the kind of firepower to actually hurt their deadly companion, and you felt fear grip your heart when rapid laser fire fell upon Dusty. The creature snarled and gnashed his teeth, dropping down to his front arms to sprint forward and close the distance between himself and the Elclave member who had the gatling laser.

"Dusty!" You scream and run forward, ducking behind rocks and burnt out cars in your bid to get to the deathclaw. Cooper rubs right behind you, taking pot shots at the line of figures that stand on top of the cliffs above them. One woman screams as a bullet catches her in the leg, and she goes tumbling off the cliff to hit the ground, dead.

The deathclaw rips through the men and woman who don't have powe armor, blood and gore flying in all directions, and painting his golden scales red. You arrive in time to see a man in power armor rip something off his back and onto his shoulder. The weapon glows a terrible blue, and you watch in slow motion as a bolt of electrified plasma flew through the air and struck Dusty in the chest.

The deathclaw goes down with a howl of anguish, rearing back to expose the blackened flesh of his soft underbelly. His scales crack and melt off, and Dusty falls to the side, the ground shaking when his weight meets the earth.

Cooper hears you scream, and the sound rattles him. It's full of pain and fury, rage, and disbelief. He watches you drop your weapon and dash forward, throwing yourself at the man who shot Dusty. You cling to the man, feet finding foothold as your fingers dig into the neck paneling of the suit and rip at the tubing and wires that connect to the helmet.

Steam erupts from the power armor, and the man jerks around, stumbling as half of his suit loses power. You find the latch to the helmet and rip it off, exposing the face of the terrified man who dared try and kill Dusty.

The ghoul shouts your name when the two of you tip over, the power armor useless now that its systems have been compromised. You appear seconds later, wielding your side arm. You shoot the man in the face until the chamber runs dry, shoulders heaving and teeth bared in an animalistic snarl.

With the fight over, with any other remaining Enclave having fled the scene, you turn on your heel and run to Dusty. You drop to your knees beside the whining creature and reach for his massive head, hands gently smoothing over his dangerous horns as you whisper reassurances to your baby.

"Is okay, sweetheart. I'm right here. Can you let momma see?" You coo, and Dusty lifts his head, moving just enough that you can see the awful wound left behind from the tesla cannon. Dusty whuffs and grunts, obvious sounds of pain falling from his maw.

"Cooper, bring me my bag," you order, and the ghoul does so without a word. You dig around until you can find your stash of chems and drag out the med-x and stim-packs you have. You have no idea if these would work, but you had to try.

"I need to see it, Dusty," you murmur, and Dusty shoves his head forward and into your lap, looking for comfort, and you easily give it to him. You hold his head close to your chest, and the beast breaths in your scents deeply, his milky eyes closing as he begins to calm down.

You look at Cooper, and the ghoul sighs, but he takes the medical supplies from you. He goes about moving around the deathclaw until he can see the burn. The med-x goes first, and then he injects four stim-packs around the wound.

The chems seem to work, for it isn't long before the deathclaw relaxes, his body sagging forward, and you grunt as you take his weight. His breathing evened out, and Cooper watched in muted fascination as the wound began to knit back together. He sighs and plops down in the dirt beside you.

You lean into him, and Cooper wraps his arm around your waist as best he can, kissing the side of your head. Silent tears stream down your face as relief sweeps through your body.

"He'll be alright, smoothskin. Dusty's tougher than he looks."

[hana-no-seiiki]

Hi! I love your work and was wondering what you thought of platonic/romanitc yandere batfamily with a reader who's like five hargreeves???

My first request! Although I have not watched Umbrella Academy I’ll try my best to fulfill your wishes Anon (via research and several clips of this man-child). Advanced apologies for any inconsistencies.

Honestly seeing all these clips makes me want to watch the show itself so I’ll be doing that after posting this fic.

TW/CW: Yandere themes of violence, creepiness, overprotectiveness, manipulation. Uh mention of Tim and Damian creaming in their suits-

current status: unedited

PLATONIC TIMELINE

In this version of events there is no Reginald Hargreeves and siblings (thus no Umbrella Academy as a whole) instead you were plucked from your biological mother by Bruce himself and adopted as a Wayne.

You were the youngest sibling, often called “Five” as a nickname.

Having dangerous abilities such as well- the power to manipulate space and time. Bruce was incredibly strict with his training and rules, but he knew not to push you too far. He has learnt from his experiences with your brothers.

Because of that you grew up pretty egotistical, sassy and cynical — not to mention pretty spoiled.

You’d often dangle your powers over Damian, who had become your rival throughout the years.

He, in turn, would slap you back with the fact that you’re adopted.

And boy did it take a lot of convincing from your father to not go back in time and smother the damn demon-spawn with a pillow when he was still a baby.

Otherwise your relationship with them is very much a typical sibling’s one. With the exception of their overprotectiveness that is real bad (You were surprised to see Damian in the mix as well. Was your brother a masochist of some sort?) and due to your powers and everyone’s overall occupations, a lot more violent.

They will try to sabotage any and all relationships you have whether it’s romantic or platonic.

But, jokes on them, you can just go back in time and stop anything bad from happening.

Really, you can’t help but laugh at their shenanigans.

Like whenever you see Dick disguised as a waiter trying to drug your date but it somehow ends up with him on the floor frothing at the mouth.

Or during this one time Jason tried shooting a friend of yours but found himself with a bullet up his ass instead. That is if you were feeling a little more sadistic than usual, you mostly switch his guns out for staplers.

You made sure to help him patch up though. As much as they were cockblockers, they were still family.

In conclusion, as much as the Batfam are capable superheroes/vigilantes I’m pretty sure they can’t really beat a trained space-time manipulator.

Bruce created a monster and he ain’t stopping it himself anytime soon.

“[Y/N] Wayne. You have to stop throwing your older brother around.” Bruce scolds you for the nth time this week. Though you knew better than any one else within the mansion you were in that is far as he’ll go with his actions.

“If this is about Tim— he was looking through my search history again, and my gallery, and not to mention every damn file I have on my computer—“

“Look, I was just checking up on you—“ Tim’s voice comes from the intercomms. Only to be cut off by a gasp.

From your brief blink in-and-out of existence, Bruce just knows it’s you slamming the poor boy’s face on a keyboard or something.

“[Y/N]!”

“I wonder if it’s too late to get unadopted.”

ROMANTIC TIMELINE

“Where’d you go?”

“The future. It’s shit by the way.”

You, much like the original Five Hargreeves, are a 50 something year-old person stuck in a young adult’s body as a result of fucking up the space time continuum too much.

You have the same origins as well, being born from a butcher who had shown no signs of pregnancy and being adopted by Reginald Hargreeves.

Let’s say you and your siblings were well known but after you disappeared, they all mysteriously died if not vanish like you as well.

You had close ties with the Teen Titans and were planning to join them after you’d master your powers of time manipulation. However that unfortunately didn’t happen.

In any case, you meet up with one of the only heroes you knew years ago and that happened to be Batman and his sidekick, Robin.

Except… it seemed that Batman was way older and Robin had already been replaced three times. The Robin you were friends now calls him Nightwing.

You bring news of the apocalypse and ask them to aid you in searching for your siblings.

Unbeknownst to you, Dick had been searching for you all over since your disappearance. It had partly been the reason why he chose to become his own independent hero so he already had a lead on where to look.

You meet the rest of the Batfam, who grow to enjoy your sassy, witty personality.

To Bruce, you were like a reminder of things before the trauma he’s had to face with his sons. In addition to that, you were roughly the same age mentally so having another “grown up” with him, albeit one that’s more chaotic, was definitely helpful.

To Jason, you were exciting. He’s seen people with powers before but none that seemed so elegant yet ruthless. You were mesmerizing in battle but your softer sides where you’d remind him of the life he has ahead of him and to take care, was even more captivating.

To Damian and Tim, you took a more obvious parental approach. Which was odd coming from someone close to their age in appearance. Unlike Jason who enjoys more of your soft side they enjoy the side of you that’s uncaring of those in your way.

And when they see you covered in blood after a heated fight? Absolutely gorgeous.

(They may or may not be creaming in their suits)

Now in the case of dear old Dickey, who has been helping you out investigating your disappearance. You two grew a lot closer. Even more so than before.

To him you were gone for almost 2 decades and to you it was twice that time. Still time didn’t stop you two from reconnecting quickly.

He takes the first step in asking you out. His brothers and father aren’t exactly discreet when it comes to their feelings so he (very reluctantly) lets them have a piece of you by moving back to Gotham for good.

In this timeline, Dolores (the mannequin) exists cause yes. So they don’t really have any real competition to fight with.

They are some times where Damian, Jason, and Dick want to destroy the thing for being so precious to you though.

In any case, like I said in the Platonic timeline. Not many things can go against Time/Space manipulation so if they want to take away your abilities or overpower it’s going to be a hard task to go through.

They much rather manipulate and/or coax you to not use it against their desires.

In time, you’ll be the perfect darling and partner in heroism for the batfam 💜

Hope you liked this Anon and thank you for requesting!

[mammomlette]

How I changed the obey me timeline in my obey me dr (because the real one is a dumpster fire)

So this blog isn’t supposed to be about my DR or shifting but I want to yap about this and help people out who want a reference on how they could change it if they feel it’s too messy like I did! <3

OBVIOUSLY SPOILERS FOR OBEY ME!!

I’ve done a slightly more detailed version of events for the brothers in the celestial realm, during nightbringer and recently before MC, but I’ve also got brief bullet points in case you don’t want to read allat (understandable)

The celestial realm (not the place, the era for the brothers)

Lucifer was created about 6,500 years ago. We know he is over 5,000 for definite in canon as he says in about lesson 15 he can talk about either the past 5000 years or up to 5000 years ago. I chose 6,500 for no reason, I just felt like it

Lucifer is lonely. He has Michael, but that’s about it. Then Mammon came along about 5,700 years ago, a new angel curious about the realm and he basically just baby duck’ed lucifer. First thing he saw and just chose him. Lucifer just accepted it.

Levi was born about 5,500 years ago, 200 years after mammon, and just stared at Lucifer and mammon for a while until they had a run in with him and claimed (is that a weird way to describe it) him. He just went with it

Satan was created on much different circumstances. Yes, he was first ‘born’ during the celestial war, but he first festered and came to life inside of Lucifer after Lucifer had his first serious argument with Michael (or the Father) since then, he had been flickering in and out of consciousness, just stuck staring through lucifers eyes and feeling nothing but wrath being stuck spectating at random times uncontrollably. This was approximately 5,350 years ago.

Roughly 5,200 years ago, the most beautiful of lights combined and shone down onto one (very large, the celestial realm has odd flora) red rose, and from the light after it dimmed was Asmodeus. He immediately felt pure adoration for all those around him, smiling and praising Lucifer, Mammon, and Leviathan who took him under their wing.

5,000 years ago-ish, two twin angels were created simultaneously. Two wings opened to reveal two twins, albeit not similar in appearance besides from their eyes, who were immediately attached at the hip. This intrigued Lucifer, who began to grow fond of them, and this fondness slowly rubbed off onto his other three brothers. Obviously, those twins were Beelzebub and Belphegor.

Simeon was created a little under 5,000 years ago, but acted much more maturely and quickly gained more power than the brothers (minus lucifer, of course)

The stable and supportive mind of Simeon drew lucifer (and per usual, the rest of his brothers) towards him and they bonded as family (important to note: I don’t headcanon this or assume this is how it went in canon. Simeon being one of the the brothers in the celestial realm and being as close with them as they were eachother is just something I added in. This isn’t canon or implied by any means)

And as the final of the siblings, Lilith was born 4,800 years ago.

She was sweet to all those around her, taking the interest of the twins and then the rest of the brothers. With time, the 8 grew inseparable.

Prior to all of the siblings being created, diavolo is born. Probably a few centuries before lucifer. Diavolo nags and nags and nags for Barbatos to be his butler and he’s like okay FINE just shut uppPPPP or however he would word that. (Barb also grew attached to him quite quickly for his standards, probably because he knew his father was so neglectful, the bastard)

Belphie had been watching from the clouds in quiet places as humans went about their daily lives. New civilisations formed and were destroyed and he thrived in watching the humans live and die and ascend (or celestial realm forbid descend)

After so long watching them, he decided to sneak down. He was so awe-struck by what he saw (and thankful he didn’t get caught) he just had to bring his twin and little sister with him!!

While he was there, he ran into humans putting on some kind of performance for other humans using tools and animals (This is the circus he is referred to have visited. Though they weren’t called circuses at the time, surely things equivalent have always existed)

The show didn’t seem all that impressive to Beel, but Lilith and Belphie practically glowed at the sight of the shows humans would put on to entertain each other, so he was content to let it happen.

Lucifer was sent down by Father to talk to the demon prince, Diavolo.

About 3,000 years ago, Lilith ran into a man while hiding her true form. She fell madly in love with him and understood she had to hide her identity and lead a double life. While leading with double life, she met not only the love of her life but her best friend.

Eventually, (not significantly long after considering how shortly humans live) her lover got ill. Lilith was more absent and notably more upset, so the twins caught on, who concernedly confronted Lilith, which was heard by Lucifer, who was forced to tell Michael (because Michael knew something was up and harassed him for it), who decided that Father would be able to help Lilith.

Yeah father did NOT help Lilith💥💥

Father was deeply displeased with her and decided to cast her out of the heavens (which always results in an angel falling, Simeon)

The brothers were outraged and decided to fight for Lilith with wits but they ended up having to use those fists instead 💔

Simeon was the exception to this though, as Michael had gotten to Simeon before lucifer could and convinced him fighting would be a mistake. Simeon pleaded with lucifer not to do it, but he was ignored. Simeon still vouched for the brothers though, which resulted in him being demoted but the brothers never knew he did this (so that sucks for Simeon)

In the battle Lilith died, they fell, Beel got survivors guilt Belphie became human racist, yk how it goes

However, Lilith knew she was probably going to die. She was always the weakest of her siblings. So, she gave her blessing to her best friend the day before she died, some of her power and some of her love eternally flowing through the best friend’s veins. The loss of this power definitely became another reason she died the next day.

(This friend would be my ancestor. That was I have Liliths power, but NOT her blood because that’s a tiny bit weird for me to be trying to diddle my greatX30 uncles, but to each their own)

Satan is born from the smallest pair of lucifers wings ripping off and in a last moment of light, form into an angry toddler

I’d also say Solomon needs to be born at some point recently before the fall. Mans is OLD and needs to be alive long enough before nightbringer (which in still using as a reference point btw, and also nightbringer is one year after the fall) to make a pact with Barbatos and become well acquainted with him.

I’m not sure when thirteen was born sorry guys, but I like to hc she was young enough to be most comfortable in a child form when she first met Solomon and once Barb dumped him at the lake thingy, she started aging along side him (in my head canons and DR, reapers can change their age)

Their rivalry started as childish banter but then he cooked for her and it became a tad real I’m afraid…

But anyway I’m gonna say this was about 100-300 years before the fall just because. That feels right to me

Solomon does a lot of crazy shit right after Barb makes a pact with him. Example: restraining order from the sea?

Nightbringer/right after the fall

I scripted out most of nightbringer

It doesn’t make sense and doesn’t fit in with the rest of the timeline imo??

Anyway, back to explaining what happened after the fall

Michael finds lucifers ring basically right away because he can see the tainted celestial energy flowing through it, so he goes down for the last time for a while to retrieve it

Lucifer makes a deal to offer his allegiance or whatever he said with diavolo in order to bring Lilith back to life, but this is as a human (didn’t change this)

Belphie, who despite always being a sleepy head managed to stay awake and enjoy lounging in the sun, began to stay indoors all the time m. He could see the stars from the planetarium, that’s all he really cares about. (Vitamin D deficiency who?)

All the brothers also begin to embody their sins. It’s sad to watch them morph into sin incarnate but they’ll grow used to it (in like, 200 years, rip bozos)

Diavolo comes up with the concept of RAD but doesn’t begin planning it out yet. He introduces the idea to Barbatos and the brothers, who aren’t thrilled about school or whatever but dont see a reason to oppose it

Satan is angy guys:((

Satan ages inconsistently. There are moments he is a toddler and then is suddenly in his pre-teens, all just based on how stable he is (while resting, he usually looks to be about 6 but his age changes randomly when feeling stresses)

He begins to learn from those around him to be calm, but to indulge in sins, never getting the virtuous upbringing his brothers had.

About 100 years later and his aging is still inconsistent, but doesn’t spasm out anymore. He’s like renesmee or whatever her name is from twilight, he aged quite quickly for a born-demon once it was under control.

Michael becomes bitter in the loss of the brothers and shuts himself away for a few hundred years, only making appearances when needed. Once he stops being a recluse, it’s obvious he’s different. More unstable and obsessed with messing with people. But still him, still and angel

Raphael (whose birth I didn’t include because who has time for that, he just exists at some point before the fall) becomes more easily irritated and cold. This doesn’t last to such an extent permanently, but its impact still stands in present. He misses them.

And Simeon is distraught. He hides it, but his gloom is obvious to everyone. 1,500ish years before present day, Michael notices this and out of pity and sympathy, assigns a new unranked angel angel to be his student. To be his brother. (Guess who this is you guys!!)

Although he could never dream of replacing his brothers, having Luke around reminds him to be happy. A younger brother turned older with new responsibilities, but he’s happy to have company

Solomon makes a pact with Asmo in his (sol’s) hometown after they both get a bit tipsy.

Solomon has his war with the devildom (sorry chat I really don’t know why. Possibly having something to do with his new pact with Asmo) and during this diavolo calls upon the brothers to help fight against him. THIS is why they’re known as the 7 rulers of the underworld not some stupid ass kids quest to find Cerberus

During this war, Levi makes a bond with Lotan

Diavolo starts properly planning RAD

The brothers realise that it’s much more simple to just chill without their demonic features, so they find out how to have more ‘human’ forms and hang out in them for casual times

And given their status, this starts a trend in the devildom to be in human forms.

Big puppy shows up at their door for war one day. Guard dog acquired💪

Crows won’t leave mammon alONEEEE (he loves them really he just doesn’t know it yet)

Henry 1.0 is there for a minute too btw. Then he’s not

Pre-MC (Past 1,000 years)

Probs the shortest section

Diavolo officially establishes RAD with a curriculum that takes hundereds possibly thousands of years to complete

Luke meets the demon king at a ceremony (I don’t know anything about this other than it happened in canon, I don’t remember it being mentioned lol)

The demon king goes for a lil snooze and snork mimimi’s till this day. Guys just tired

While his daddy is honk shoo’ing the world away, diavolo is forced to take the throne temporarily

Diavolo had already basically taken charge the devildom while his father was AWAKE anyway since his father wanted to train him up (and zzzzzzz in peace) so he knew what to do he was just depressed he actually had to now and Barbatos was making sure of it

Levi gets Henry 2.0 (also a few henries in between. Shout out to Henry 1.7, the parrot who was smite-smited-smote-smoted-smitten- killed for calling lucifer a bitchass motherfucker. U we’re iconic king)

A human is born. This can’t mean anything important right guys. Right.

The exchange programme is put forward, Belphie threatens treason, lucifer is too gay loyal to defend his brother so he locks him in the attic as all siblings so

Briefer timeline

The brothers are all born (including Simeon, who is one of the brothers in my DR but didn’t fall)

Lilith falls in love yada yada, before the war she blesses her friend (my ancestor) and gives her her power

Solomon makes a pact with Barb and becomes a little 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴𝔂

The brothers (not Simeon) fall and Lilith dies rip queen

Satan is born but he’s a toddler who just changes age when he’s angy

Until he gets his emotions mostly under control and then he starts aging (he stops aging once he reaches a certain point m, about early 20s but the brothers ages are weird in my DR)

Simeon is so sad Michael buys him a dog (I’m kidding, I know I know that’s an oversaturated joke)

Solomon makes a pact with Asmo while tipsy and wages a war because he was feeling 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴𝔂 again

During said war, the brothers become known as the 7 rulers of the underworld. Cerberus shows up randomly on a Tuesday, unrelated to them gaining their titles

Demon king snoozes so diavolo steps up (he basically already did that but now it’s official)

Diavolo wants RAD. Nobody wants to go to school but they say yes because they kinda have to

Diavolo gets RAD

Human is born. So many humans are born every day, so this won’t mean anything right, chat?

Belphie is racist to humans so he threatens treason when diavolo wants the exchange programme and he gets locked in the attic

•

•

•

That’s it😭 I feel like I’m missing stuff out so if you notice anything missing lmk and I’ll add it!! I’m gonna do more posts like these, hopefully this was alright😞😞

[reds-writings]

red!! love your writing <3 may i request rust + 11 from the fluff prompts pt2?? whatever timeline you prefer :)

(pairing: rust cohle x jj!reader)

a/n: this is set somewhere in the late 90s in our pairing's journey! just a lil snapshot blurb! enjoy :)

warnings: none really! just some smoochin' and mentions of sucky family

“I gotta get up soon.” You hummed with eyes closed, it was barely morning outside but you’d forgone packing last night for your baby nephew’s christening a couple of hours away no thanks to the man taking up residence in your bed. Given the lengthy drive, you planned on staying at some hotel and venturing back the following morning. 

The family affair was due to start no later than 11 and with how grandiose your parents liked to make intimate matters such as these a thing for others to be envious of you know it was imperative to give them no reason to look down on their noses at you any more than they already did on the regular. You just needed to show up, shoot the shit, and hurry back home to your cowboy.

Speaking of, the lump by your side made no move to set you free so that you may bite the bullet that was this tedious family gathering. 

“M’serious. You hogged me all last night. Means I gotta get goin’ earlier today.”

A small hmph was grumbled but nothing else. Clear that he couldn’t care less.

You snorted and flipped over to hover above his lazing form. Sleep, or a telltale lack thereof, weighed heavy on his lids. Long lashes dusted sullen eyebags but now wasn’t the time to get lost in his fatigued beauty as much as it pained you to pull away. 

“I’ll be back before lunch tomorrow. Hopefully.” You mused as you brushed a finger across a sharp cheekbone. Bleary eyes willed themselves open to get a better look at you, and in the muted hues of the growing dawn, they looked more grey than usual. 

“They don’t deserve you.” His voice came out in a sleep-logged grumble. By now in your relationship, he’d had the displeasure of meeting them, a formality more than anything. It didn’t go unnoticed that he felt a deep-rooted resentment with how they treated you. Your sister was alright but he couldn’t find it in himself to be forgiving toward her blatant ignorance of being the stark beneficiary of your parents’ favoritism. His callousness and silent distaste were enough to have your parents in an uproar once they got you alone. Something about such unbelievable crassness and lack of basic respect for one’s superiors. 

It’s why he didn’t get invited to much. Not that he cared besides not being able to keep a close eye on you when you had to visit the wolves’ den every now and then.

If it were up to him he'd never let them have the chance of having their wretchedness touch you again.

Though, your selflessness could not often be stopped.

“They do not. But I love my nephew and he ain’t done a thing to me so I’ll buck up and endure the rest of them for however long.” You leaned down to capture his lips with yours briefly, his warm palm pressed at your lower back with silent greed. You let him have you for a few moments more before you begrudgingly moved away with a tense stretch, a pop or two sounding from your back. 

“No later than lunch. Cross my heart.” You made an ‘x’ motion with your index and got up. Rust just hummed again, moving his arm to shield his eyes from the sudden light of your ensuite bathroom. You peered cheekily from the doorway, 

“Don’t miss me too much, now.”

He didn’t have the energy to deny it.  

[cheapshrimpysheep]

Christmas Celebration - Requests

Requests are CLOSED

FANDOMS: Twisted Wonderland & Obey Me!

(I'm thinking of having 10 slots for Twisted Wonderland and 10 slots for Obey Me, or I'll close it when I feel like I have enough or too many requests for me to handle 😅)

I wanted to open requests again and I thought the best time to do it would be around Christmas time. You know, as gifts for you. 🎁

Meanwhile, I haven't had the time to open more requests and my number of followers grew very quickly, so I ended up skipping the other follower milestones celebrations.

But now I'm taking the opportunity to also celebrate 3000 Followers as well. THANK YOU SO MUCH! 🥰

If you want to see the list of previous requests, here it is:

500 Followers Celebration - Requests

1000 Followers Celebration - Requests

Please click on keep reading below to see the rules.

I WILL NOT WRITE:

NSFW / smut

Yandere

Dark Themes / Themes that require some kind of trigger warning. (Examples: suicide, eating disorders, abuse, etc.)

Angst UNLESS it ends with fluff/comfort 

I like to read these kinds of things for comfort, so I also write to comfort the reader. So something that strays too far from that, I won't write.

No need to request Yuutsu 3, I will write it, I'm just waiting for the event to go to the Eng Server. 😉 Or kissing under the mistletoe, I've already written, it will be published in December. ❤️

I only write Reader-inserts. (Reader being MC/Yuu)

If it's something short like headcanons that are usually bullet points you can ask for as many characters as you want. If it's something longer please ask for fewer characters.

I always write Gender Neutral Reader. If you want a specific gender, I just feel comfortable writing Fem Reader, since I myself am one.

I follow the English Server. So please don't ask me for anything about history and/or events that have only happened on the Japanese Server. Sorry.

No Royal Sword Academy Students. Because I don't know them well enough to know how to write them.

I always follow Canon. So no crazy AUs.*

*I can write simpler things like: What would it be like if they became babies, what would it be like in situation X if they were MC/Yuu's boyfriends, things like that. I can not write things that are extremely far from canon like literal alternate universes, crossovers with other series or games, if they were all vampires, things like that.

I only write Reader-inserts.

If it's something short like headcanons that are usually bullet points you can ask for as many characters as you want. If it's something longer please ask for fewer characters.

I always write Gender Neutral Reader. If you want a specific gender, I just feel comfortable writing Fem Reader, since I myself am one.

Characters that are part of the Intimacy System only. In Luke's case, uniquely platonic. I still don't know enough about Mephistopheles, Thirteen or Raphael to know how to write them.

If necessary, tell me which timeline you would like: Original or Nightbringer. Otherwise, I'll pick the one that I think will make the most sense.

I always follow Canon. But if you want some kind of AU, please let it be something I can adapt to some Levi’s cursed game or Satan's cursed book or something like that.

You can make your requests by asking me.

If you landed on this post out of nowhere and want to know read some of the things I've already written, you can find it in my pinned post: INDEX

[yourgirlsarchived]

“Tez! They’re moving, come and feel!” Wynne of course

He's a little more than excited about that, he feels, in fact, as much like a green youth again as can be possible. Wynne is to be thanked or perhaps lauded for that. Her and their little one.

Hurrying from where he'd been working he smiles and places his hands on her belly. It takes a moment and then. "Ha, there they are!" Crouching, he leans in close to her. "Hello, tachkau otlasohtili. Be kind to your mother, hm? It is good to meet you properly today."

[earl-grey-teacake]

How’d you get into writing? I have a few general ideas but have no idea how they would come to fruition 😭!

I got into writing fanfic because I really wanted to see certain things written out and to read them. I just felt this overwhelming need to write just so I could read it. It is very much "if you want to eat something, you have to make it yourself."

I know you are just asking how I got into it but I thought I would include my process in case you found it helpful. For background, I've been writing fanfic for 7 years. For a very long time, I was not good at writing. I learned English very close to the end of my critical period for language learning and struggled for over a decade before I got my footing. Through my own experiences and what I learned from school, I figured out how I prefer to go about write.

I am going to use First Fight from the Baby!Loscar AU as an example since it took me the longest to write. I came up with the idea in April but did not manage to finish it until August but I felt I improved my writing process a lot more.

The idea- which is the stage I think you are at. You have an idea and maybe a scene figured out but you haven't worked it out how this scene connects and how everything forms a whole story.

My idea was just " Logan and Oscar having their first big fight and not handling it well."

2. Write the most imperfect draft you can- I don't say rough draft because it makes people think that the next draft has to be a final draft. I genuinely mean imperfect. Grammar and punctuation? Does not matter. Formatting? Doesn't exist. Logic and cohesive timeline? Irrelevant. What you want is for all your thoughts and ideas to be on a page and it can be in any way you want. It can be bullet points, written scenes, summaries. Doesn't matter.

My imperfect draft was just this section of dialogue and it sat on my computer for months

“We are not friends! Go away!” Oscar had yelled.

“I don’t like you! I hate you!” Logan had yelled back.

“I hate you too!” Those were the last words spoken between them.

3. Know what you want to get across- This is your Northern star, it will guide you when you are lost. Dialogue, timelines, plot- all of those things are subject to change. What isn't going to change is the message you wanted to get across. What is your theme, your core?

For First Fight, it was "these kids do not handle being separated very well. They love each other, they had a misunderstanding, and now they refuse to apologize to each other. As a result they are suffering."

4. You write the roughest draft known to man- I mean very, very rough. Expand a a bit on your imperfect draft, write a couple more scenes you would like to see. They don't need to go together yet, they just need to be on paper. Write out every scene you would like to see play out.

This was Oscar and Logan refusing to play together, Oscar playing alone with Charles, and the ending where they reconcile.

5. Polish up those sections- I know people say to polish at the end and I also do that but making the scenes you wrote look nice will help you feel confident in your work. Include the descriptions, the formatting, the add that bit of sparkle to the dialogue. Figure out the writing style you want to write in and edit all the sections to fit that.

6. Lock in- This is the not so fun part. Pick a free day, get a drink. Now is the time to write everything in between. The boring dialogue, the paragraphs that transition the reader from one scene to another, the scenes that are just lead up to the bigger, funner, more impressive scenes. They don't need to be perfect that just need to be on the page. By the end of it, you will have a some what cohesive plot. Will it be perfect? No. Will you enjoy reading it? Not really. Does it make you want to give up and write something else? Yes, but do not do that.

7. Read it and mull it over for a day- Do not touch the rough draft. Just read it and think about it. Do you like how the plot is? Do you want it funnier? sadder? Do you like how the characters are speaking? Does it feel natural to you? Is it giving what you want it to give? Is it following your Northern star?

8. Change everything you don't like- Delete everything you don't love. If it bothered you enough to stick with you for a day, you can toss it out. You feel like you need permission to delete it? Here's your permission, delete it. I have deleted half of a fic before. Nothing is sacred because none of it is perfect. Toss it out. Replace it something newer. Do you feel better when you replace it? Yes, then that's great. You don't feel better? Put something else in.

9. Do you love to read it?- It is not would other people love to read it. Is it not "is it perfect?" It is do you love to read it, if you were to come across this fic in the middle of the day on AO3. Would you be excited to see it? If the answer is no, repeat step 8 and 9. Do it until the answer is yes or until you cannot change anything else in it.

10. Polish it- Now that you love your work, it is the time to make it easier to read. Separate out your paragraphs, throw it into a grammar checker, format (bold, italicize, etc.). This is where you make it look pretty.

11. Post it- Congratulations! You posted your work on AO3! You did it! Pat yourself on the back and treat yourself to some boba. The work is your baby. You worked hard on it and you should be proud.

FAQ

I wrote all of this and I love it but what if other people don't love it?

They will. None of us writing know for sure if people will love or hate our work before we post it. So until someone outright sends a 500 word count rant about how much they despise it, assume everyone will love it.

What if it isn't perfect?

Many things in this world aren't perfect and we love them. A plushie that was sewn wrong or is missing an ear is still picked up and loved. A puppy missing a leg or an eye is still a beloved part of the family. Writing isn't about being perfect, it is about being human. It is your words, your emotions, and your imagination all on a page and like all humans, you writing will improve as we all do. I don't consider any of my writing perfect and yet, I continue to write because I want to get better and because I love it.

What do you use to write?

You don't need any tools to write but some make it easier for you than others. I recently spent money on Bsun Tuzi switches for my keyboard and it had helped me write a lot quicker but a mechanical keyboard is an investment and a pricey one.

I use Apple Pages to write since I like how clean their format it. I also organize my work on Notion or Obsidian,

I started off writing on Google docs and Word so you don't need the fancy stuff.

I don't know how to write dialogue.

Since I mainly do F1 and Indycar RPF, my biggest recommendations is to listen to Grill the Grid and podcasts. I don't usually be press interviews since I find the drivers to be more stifled and are likely saying what their team wants to say. They tend to be a bit more human on Grill the Grid and podcasts.

I just listen and see what each of them like to talk about, how they talk, etc.

I hope this helps. If you want me to elaborate on something, let me know. Feel free to ask me more questions.

[yourgirlsarchived]

"I'm much better with women who are ready to bring children into the world," Sorcha replies with a soft laugh. People often tell her she's a good motivational speaker. The truth is, Sorcha inevitably feels drained when motivating someone she doesn't have a familial sort of connection to. Vilotta certainly counts as family.

She winces in sympathy at the mention of needing another child. As she belatedly winces for bringing up Vilotta's relatively new, husband. "Speak to her," Sorcha says after a few moments. She would have to have a similar conversation with her little brood of five. "Wade and I plan to make sure that the kids know we love them, and that the new baby won't change that. That we might be busy, but the baby needs them too, and we will need their help to make the family work with this new configuration."

It was easier with the kids closer together. There was no explaining to Jemma about Mal or Mal and Jemma about Thea or when the Twins came around. They were all close enough, their memories are of new babies simply being the norm. With the kids in school it will likely be different.

"He was a good pregnancy. Calm, but the amount of spicy food I wanted with that boy was nigh on obscene. I think his favorite food was birria tacos while in the womb." She smiles fondly. "The twins were ice cream, and Thea was chicken and pickles. I didn't get sick often with mal, but with Thea it was all day for months. The twins were pretty even keel where symptoms were concerned. All the babies seem to want to stay, not a one has come on time!"

Oh, she kinda hates it when her friend makes such good points. “You’re a good springboard, Sorcha, thank you. Ever think about doing that professionally?” Vilotta isn’t being entirely facetious there. She also grins widely at the mention of their children, eyes sparkling with that bittersweet resignation that always accompanies babies growing up. Before they knew it- nope, nope, thinking about that will get her all misty eyed and then the conversation loses focus. This is too important right now.

She listens intently to every word passing Sorcha’s lips, but pangs slam her heart like freight trains at the mention of the word ‘husband’. Her first husband, Wynne’s father, had passed on when their daughter was only four months old. Once the Helethi had settled onto Earth more permanently, Vilotta had remarried a man from her home city-state who loved and cherished Wynne as his own… but Vilotta’s mind always went first to that simple farmer. By Solisari, she misses him beyond words.

That’s not important at present. What’s important is her people’s future.

“Yes. Yes. I can. I know I can. Sorcha, if I am to become Queen, then that means a need for at least one sibling for her. It’s been primarily Wynne and myself for the past five years, I… I don’t want my girl to think I don’t love her anymore. Is that a silly thing to think? It sounds silly now that I say it.” Vilotta’s time carrying Wynne was special. Honestly one of the most sacred times of her life. “What was your pregnancy like with Malcolm? I seem to recall him wanting to stay in there.”

[justabigoldnerd]

Thank you so much @the-golden-comet for the tag!!!

This week's fic is "Lost On You"

⚠️Warning⚠️ for internalized and period typical homophobia in this one, but also this has one of my favorite arguments I've ever written 💕

Under the cut because this fic's whole premise is kisses lmao so it's a long one

1.

Illya's hands were violently shaking and they were being watched by the enemy. Solo had to think of something and fast. His eyes darted around the room, looking for whatever the goons were not looking at. When he found the pattern, he took in a quick breath, closing his eyes to calm his racing heart. "Illya," Solo whispered, and his friend's dark gaze shifted towards him, "I'm sorry." Before Illya could possibly process what he meant, Solo slid his hands up his arms and locked his fingers behind his neck, pulling him into a rough kiss. It would've hurt less if Illya pushed him away. If he'd shoved him off and spat at the ground, hurling strings of curses that Solo had heard a million times before. However, Illya sighed into the kiss, his hands hovering with uncertainty over Solo's waist. One of them finally landed just above his hip and his heart shattered. Solo broke the kiss before either of them had a chance to do something they'd regret. Illya's hands left him like he was the eye of a hot stove and he stepped away, his eyes wild but no longer shaking. "We'd been spotted," Solo told him through gritted teeth, "I had to lose them."

2.

Thankfully, Illya nodded and found a path to the exit, guiding Solo along by his elbow. When they finally slipped through the side door and into the alley, Illya checked the entrances then pushed Solo against the brick wall opposite the door. He expected a fist fight. A screaming match. A knife to the gut or a bullet to the brain. What he got was Illya ducking his head and kissing him again, angling so that it was deeper this time. His thigh brushed close to Solo's crotch, and he hummed into Illya's mouth. Without warning, he pulled away, leaving Solo trailing after him. "They were watching again," Illya shrugged, turning to start the short walk to Gaby's waiting car. Solo exhaled softly and smiled. He was one hundred percent certain that there hadn't been a single soul in that alleyway.

3.

"Sure we can." Solo's eyes were heavy now, from more than the drug, so the kiss he pulled Illya into was lazy and chaste, but just as sweet. "See?" Illya's eyes stayed closed. With a heavy sigh, he reciprocated, his hand finding its way to cradle Solo's cheek. His lips moved slowly, nothing behind it but simplicity, and it made Solo that much sleepier. After they parted, he could feel Illya's breath on his face as he whispered, "Goodnight, Cowboy."

4.

"Uh, I don't give them names," Illya was lying now, and obviously so. "Of course you do," Gaby countered, taking one of the cat's paws between her fingers and shaking it like a hand, "What's your name, little one?" "Zvezda," he muttered, "Star. Because of the spot." Illya ran his thumb through a patch of white fur on the cat's chest. "Pleasure to meet you, Zvezda," Gaby cooed, planting a kiss on Zvezda's forehead. Solo saw a flash of a different universe, one where they weren't spies in Istanbul, but friends in a hospital in West Berlin, and the tiny thing in Illya's arms was an infant rather than a cat. She had Gaby's eyes and a shock of blond hair like Illya. Solo's heart ached for a timeline he'd never see, the notion of a welcomed baby vanishing from his mind. This will do, he thought, watching Gaby rest her head against Illya's shoulder to babble sweet nothings to Zvezda. This will do.

5.

"I'm going for lunch," Gaby said after a length of comfortable silence, "I haven't eaten since London." "I'll join you. Give Peril some alone time with Zvezda and friends." Gaby nodded in agreement, then stood on her toes and gave Illya a kiss on the cheek. He smiled softly, a loving look in his eyes. Solo couldn't tell if it was love for her or for the cat. It didn't really matter. She retraced their steps and Solo waited until she was out of sight to ask, daringly, "You ever thought about kids?"

6.

Quickly, before he could psyche himself out of it, Solo took a step closer and pressed a gentle kiss to Illya's cheek. "I'll see you at the hotel," he remarked as he walked away, not allowing himself to see how Illya reacted.

7.

Gaby's sea legs were horrible. They always had been. So she stumbled the moment she stepped out of the boat. Illya was there to catch her, helping her balance with a gentle hand on her waist. Her hands held his arms, and she looked up at him sweetly. A pit formed in Solo's stomach as he saw her fingers dance across his cheek. Gaby's lips parted ever so slightly, and Illya accepted the invitation, dipping his head to kiss her slowly.

8.

"Are you taking responsibility for a fuck up right now? Wow, you must be really in love with him," Gaby laughed, finishing her previously untouched glass and refilling it with the wine. "I could still murder you and hide your body where no one will find it," Solo reminded her unseriously. "You love me too much," Gaby grinned and leaned down to kiss his cheek, "Join me on the couch? I want to see what's on TV."

9.

For the next few hours, Solo enjoyed Gaby's one man performance that only got funnier with each glass of wine. A weight had been lifted off of his chest. When Illya got home, looking absolutely bored out of his mind, Solo greeted him with more warmth than he had in weeks, even grinning as Gaby kissed him hello. She shot a knowing glance over her shoulder at him and he rolled his eyes.

10.

"What now?" Illya asked carefully. Solo took a small breath to steel his nerves, then said, "Well, I'd like to kiss you now, if you don't mind." Nodding softly, Illya turned slightly so that he was facing Solo, their knees pressing together. "Okay." Tilting his head, Solo smiled adoringly at Illya, then carded his fingers through his hair. "You can tell me to stop any time." "I don't want you to stop," Illya whispered, his eyes falling closed. Solo rested his hand on the side of Illya's face, and he leaned into the touch. "Then I won't," he purred, leaning forward to capture Illya's lips in his own. It was soft and exploratory, a question more than anything.  Illya answered, his hands coming up to hold Solo's jaw. Humming in delight, Solo gently pushed Illya backwards until he was laying on the couch, then angled his head to deepen the kiss. Tonight, he tasted of peppermint tea and fresh starts. Illya's hands found Solo's waist, and he straddled his hips in response. When they parted, they were gasping for air, making them both laugh. The skin around Illya's eyes crinkled at the corners in that adorable, genuine way and Solo pressed a chaste kiss to the side of his mouth. "I love you, Illya," he breathed.

11.

"Thank you," Illya's eyes shone with love, "Thank you, Solo." Solo quite liked his name on Illya's tongue when it was said like that. Pleased, he stole one more languid kiss, then laid on top of Illya, his head on his chest. "I'm a cuddler," he told him, muffled by the fabric of his dress shirt, "So be prepared for a lot more of this."

12.

Solo didn't even bother to look up. "Welcome back, Gaby." "I told you you were safe," she ruffled his hair, then bent to give Illya a kiss that was cut short by the smiles they couldn't contain. 

13.

Illya was thoughtful for a moment, then decided, "I want to try." "You can kick me out if it gets too much," he soothed, climbing out of his arms with another quick kiss, "I'll get started on the food."

14.

Illya caught his hand, and Solo looked back at him curiously. He took a breath as if to speak, then stopped. Instead of saying anything, Illya brought Solo's hand to his mouth and kissed his knuckles. An understanding passed between them, and Solo beamed, giving Illya's hand a squeeze before heading into the kitchenette.

Open Tag for anyone who wants to join!!!

[wewerebornsextuplets]

i was looking at keiko's af page and saw that she's friends with dobusu. i'd love to know more about what their friendship is like. 👀✨️

of course!! ill take any excuse to talk more about keiko HEHE

so to be honest, i dont have their friendship quite as fleshed out as i do some other character interactions for my ocs, but i do have a rough timeline i can share! i imagine they first became friends right around the time mii was born; because of the combination of having to take care of a newborn And having to keep her a secret to maintain popularity as an idol, nyaa had a difficult time finding good resources to take care of her as a first-time parent. since we know dobusu was already helping to babysit for her, i dont think it'd be a stretch to say she would also be willing to run some errands and help out with the more practical during those early months when nyaa Couldn't leave baby mii alone.

thus, enter keiko; one of the things dobusu did to help out nyaa during this time was picking up some books on parenting and childcare for her. rather than buying the books straight out ["you wont need them in five years, anyways" is her logic], she opted to borrow them from the library instead, which is where keiko works. it started as just casual client/employee conversation, but as dobusu started visiting the library more often and eventually became a regular, they got to know each other much better! in particular id like to imagine they swap reading recommendations quite often; dobusu seems the type to enjoy a good romance novel, and keiko is definitely a seasoned-enough bookworm to know how to wade through the garbage to find good recs for her in that genre.

eventually, keiko bites the bullet and asks for her phone number so they can start hanging out outside of work, and from there they maintain a close friendship! both of them are in pretty different places in their lives, so i think they would be good at offering one another a fresh perspective on whatever their problems may be. on a sillier note, though, i like to imagine that they like to catch each other up on whatever gossip is happening on the outskirts of their respective friend groups/social circles at the moment. heres a little doodle of that :-))

[bartletslesbians]

META: Trans Narcissa Malfoy

This is 7K words long and divided into 8 bullet points. It can also be found on AO3 through this link.

This is going to be an overview of my trans!Narcissa headcanon, with a look at queerness in the Black family/pureblood society as a whole, different family dynamics, and how growing up a trans kid in a society like this influences different headcanons/aspects of her character. Needless to say, this is based on my own headcanons and the very limited canon information we have about her (most of which does not inform us about her childhood and family relations as we’d like). It’s by no means meant as an argument as to why everyone should adopt this headcanon, it’s just informative and fun.

I have one reason for writing this and one reason only and it’s “I love this headcanon and want to be able to refer to it without spamming a whole explanation and additional headcanons into an unexpecting discord chat”. Plus, I want to write more headcanons about specifically my take on Narcissa, and for some of those headcanons it’d be very convenient to just be able to refer back to an existing post on how her being trans influences some things in the rest of her life.

How this will be structured:

First things first

1: A general look at how I think queerness is seen and treated in the Black family and by extension pureblood society.

2A: The Black family and the importance of sons and Heirs.

2B: Specifically Narcissa’s position.

3A: Getting to Narcissa’s specifics: a timeline on her realisation and coming out.

3B: Specifically, her parents’ and sisters’ reaction and her own fears.

4: Tying back to the Heirs, the reactions and attitudes of Narcissa’s cousins.

5:Narcissa’s plans for her future and openness about her being trans and queer. (Side tangent: Narcissa and the way she confirms to roles, not individuality.)

6A: Narcissa’s marriage and having a baby

6B: Raising Draco

7: How she chose her name.

8: Some fic recs to close it off

There'll be mentions of transphobia and miscarriage in this post!

Alright so let's get into it I’m so excited.

Firstly

The very simple reason why I love this headcanon. It’s entirely born from a conversation with a friend back in like 2014 on “but why doesn’t her name fit the rest of the cousins/most of her immediate family?” during which we looked at other fanon theories and then went “but what if…” and settled on this. There are obviously other theories, one of the most popular ones that I’ve seen being that Druella cheated and Narcissa is not a Black at all, hence Cygnus refused to give her a traditional name. Personally, I don’t like that as much, and I prefer to think of it as a name she chose herself.

Realistically, the author named Narcissa as a Malfoy and had not decided or simply forgotten that her maiden name would be Black. Narcissa as a character was very blatantly created as Draco’s mum and Lucius’ wife, and therefore she looks like that and not like a character born into the Black family. I don’t care. I’m giving her some fucking agency.

(Sidenote: I know that TODAY there is a star named Narcissus. It was named in 2014 which is well after Narcissa’s birth and the books’ release and it was named by a random person. This is not what Narcissa was named for.)

1: Queerness in the Black family (and pureblood society)

The way I see it, queerness in and of itself is not grounds for disownment within the family. Pureblood society functions best when everybody does what is expected of them, and is vaguely happy doing it. By no means does this mean that it’s celebrated or wholeheartedly accepted, but as long as it does not interfere with your willingness to fulfil your duties, who cares. If you’re insistent and dutiful, you can even change which role you’ll fulfil for your family, if the circumstances allow. At the same time, I imagine it’s a bit of a ‘don’t ask don’t tell’ situation, where privacy is greatly appreciated depending on the circumstances. Be gay, if you want to be, but do get married and don’t make a scandal.

How this interacts with different people in these families fully depends on what is expected and needed within a specific family. For example, a family like the Lestranges with two pureblood sons, wouldn’t have much of a problem if one of them was gay, as long as at least one of them got married and continued the family name. A family with only one son would be more strict about this, and most likely absolutely would expect their son to marry a witch regardless of his sexuality.

In the Black family specifically, this is complicated because the cousins cause enough trouble without involving queerness. If all of them believed in the blood politics and no one got disowned, Sirius being queer would not have been a huge deal. What I do believe caused problems is Sirius very happily and openly snogging halfblood wizards or blood traitors. If he’d bought into his family’s ideologies and Regulus had gotten married to a pureblood witch, and Sirius would’ve fallen for some wizard of the Sacred 28, arrangements could be made to make that work.

More specifically being trans, again, so highly depends on the circumstances. One of these is, again, simply the amount of other children willing and able to do as told. I will get into the importance of Heirs in a bit, but having at least one son per family is something most families strive for. In that regard, a trans son would be more likely to be happily received than a trans daughter, but again it depends on the circumstances. If a family has three children and two of them are cis wizards, the third being a trans witch would be far less of an issue than if (as in Narcissa’s case), the first two are also witches.

Obviously this is a far more complicated topic, but that’s the gist of it: it depends, but if you’re willing to do as told or you are lucky enough to have the siblings to ‘make up’, being queer is not the end of the world and can absolutely be accepted. Also, again obviously, I’m by no means saying that that’s a good and ideal way of treating queerness (or your children in general). I hope that’s clear.

2A: Sons and Heirs in the Black family

This is specifically about the importance of the name and of the Heir in the Black family, and how I imagine this would work for the two different branches we see in canon. (Orion and Walburga’s children, and Cygnus and Druella’s.)

Long story short: they’re important. Both Druella and Walburga would have entered their marriages knowing that the main thing expected of them is to not only have at least one son, but to raise that son into a proper Heir ready to continue the name and reputation of the Black family. In my head, this largely goes per branch of the family tree. Walburg having two sons does not mean that Druella should not have one, and if both had a son it would not matter as much who’s older. They’d both be raised as the respective Heirs of their fathers, and that’d be the most important role within that family.

For Sirius and Narcissa, in this case and following my basic timeline, this means that for the first fifteen years of Narcissa’s life, they were both viewed as the respective Heirs of their family. Regulus is Sirius’ ‘spare’, in that sense, in case Sirius fucks it up along the way (which, obviously, he does and we all love him for it), but that does not translate as much to giving Narcissa any leeway. Would it have been ‘worse’ if both her cousins were witches? Sure, absolutely, but having two male cousins does not mean her father doesn’t want his own Heir, too. Narcissa was supposed to be that, and clearly wasn’t.

2B: Narcissa’s own position in the family

In a way this builds very much on the semi-popular fanon that Narcissa, cis or trans, was supposed to be her father’s son. She’s the youngest of her sisters, and she’s the last child Druella has. She was Druella’s last chance of having the Heir her husband needed and fulfilling her duty towards the family she married into. I have seen headcanons where Narcissa is born a cis girl, immediately offsetting disappointment in her family because that’s not what was supposed to happen, and she suffers this perceived failure of her mother for much of her life.

If she’s trans, that’s not immediately what happens.

In this instance, Narcissa is born and she’s assumed to be the Heir her parents were waiting for. Her father’s Heir, his only son, her mother’s duty fulfilled and their absolute pride and joy. She would have been raised with the knowledge and understanding (and, I sincerely believe until she came to the realisation she’s a girl, full willingness) that she’d marry an appropriate pureblood witch and continue the family name, have her own Heirs, and do exactly as her family needed. After two older sisters, and as they grew older two rebellious older sisters (in different ways, but still), Narcissa was the golden child. Including as they got older compared to Sirius, she was the ‘better’ Heir.

Until she wasn’t.

I think this put Narcissa into a position where the role she had been raised and praised for her entire life, at one point becomes something that she can’t possibly live up to. Narcissa has always been raised for a very specific purpose, a purpose that I genuinely believe she would have wanted to fulfil if she thought she could, and then she comes to the realisation that she can’t. She knows her family. She knows what she needs to be, and she knows she can’t. Narcissa was the light of her family, the absolute golden child. She was that annoying brat that other parents pointed their children to in a “look at her, be more like her” manner. The example of what it meant to be a pureblood wizard’s Heir.

And that brings me to perhaps my favourite thing about her in this entire post.

She knew exactly what she was doing when she came out. She knew what she was risking, she knew what she was giving up, and she did it. More about that process in the next part, but that’s important. I don’t think there were many moments in Narcissa’s life where she chose something for herself without letting her family’s needs overshadow hers. Her coming out was exactly that. That was a choice she made knowing full well that it was one of the worst things she could do to her family, and I admire her for it.

That said:

3: The timeline, her realisation and coming out process

So in the briefest overview: the way I tend to write Narcissa, she realises that she’s trans somewhere in the beginning of her fourth year at Hogwarts, at 14. She comes out to her family (and with that, really, the rest of society) in the summer between fourth and fifth year, allowing her to start her fifth year as Narcissa.

That’s the timeline, roughly. But what matters here too, is how her cousins and sisters are doing. Frankly, Narcissa would’ve had an easier time transitioning if Sirius and Andromeda had stayed in their lanes (and she absolutely does carry some resentment about that towards them, however unfair this may be). For this I’m using mainly an alternate age gap between the Black cousins, not the canon one, but I’ll also make a brief note on how canon age gaps could work into this!

The way I most often write the Black cousins’ ages is as follows: when Narcissa is 15, Andromeda is 17/18, and Bellatrix is 19. Sirius is 14/15 and is only a few months younger than Narcissa, and Regulus is 13.

The most important thing about this is, for the sake of the timeline, this means that Sirius is already sorted and is already rebelling and is well on his way to getting disowned. He’s the family disappointment, only outdone by Andromeda who’s eloped with Ted at this point. Narcissa is the golden perfect child more than ever. And she’s realising she’s not.

This also means that her sister is already disowned. There are some rumours about Sirius potentially being disowned, too. Narcissa would be incredibly naive to the workings of her family if she went into coming out without acknowledging there was a possibility that she would be disowned. As I said, I don’t think that in pureblood society, being trans would necessarily immediately translate to being disowned, but in this particular case… That’s a very real possibility.

I think she knew that. I think she was willing to take that risk, and she was willing to suffer the consequences of being disowned. She knew it was a possibility, and she accepted that.

Between her realising she’s trans and her telling her family, there’s a period of time where I do think she genuinely tried to bargain with herself about it. Trying to see if she could make it work. If she could pretend, and keep pretending, and deny this about herself. And she decided she couldn’t, and it wasn’t worth it. Her choosing that her own well-being is more important than what her family needs from her is a rare decision on her part — it’s honestly not one she makes much more often.

Obviously, she did not get disowned. But that doesn’t change that she didn’t know that, and I want to give her credit for that.

If you want to follow a more canon timeline: the main big difference here is that Sirius would be a lot younger. By the time Narcissa comes out, he would not be rebelling yet, and while this places Regulus in a less vulnerable position at the time, it doesn’t necessarily change the pressure on Narcissa’s shoulder. Her father still would not have a replacement for his Heir.

3B: The family’s reactions to her coming out

So why is she not disowned?

My headcanon is basically that Druella wanted to disown her. Walburga perhaps even wanted to disown her. Cygnus considered it, very genuinely so, and then decided not to.

Again for this we look at the context: Andromeda has been disowned for eloping with a muggleborn wizard. Bellatrix is devoted to blood purity, but instead of being this obedient daughter to her family she’s following around Tom Riddle. In my head, Bella doesn’t get married very young and she’s quite rebellious in her own way in the sense that she wants a place in Voldemort’s circles and doesn’t really look for a husband immediately.

Narcissa has two sisters, one who’s disowned and one who has no intention of being the ideal daughter her parents would’ve preferred. Now, what their parents want is for Narcissa to remain their Heir, but Cygnus isn’t stupid either.

He’s in a position where whether he disowns Narcissa or not, his Heir is gone. Either he disowns her and she leaves the family and gets to live her life in peace, or he doesn’t disown her and she might not be his Heir anymore, but she’s still his devoted daughter. And Narcissa is devoted. She loves her family, she takes pride in her family, and her parents know that. Furious as they might be that she chooses herself over her family when she decides to transition, they’re not stupid and they know that she is devoted to the family reputation and whatever else she might do to help it.

So I think Cygnus decides not to disown her, with the deal that if she won’t be his Heir, she’ll be a damn perfect daughter. And Narcissa absolutely makes it her purpose in life to be just that. Cygnus’ reaction can be summed up as being disappointed, but willing to see what Narcissa can do for his family when she’s allowed to be herself. He’s not a great father, but that’s an alright moment. He does genuinely love his daughters, even if none of them end up quite what he’d expected or wanted from them, and between the three of them Narcissa remains his favourite.

Druella… I plan to write a whole separate post on Druella and Narcissa’s relationship. But Druella wants Narcissa to be disowned, and when Narcissa isn’t disowned, Druella does not forgive her. Druella became a mother because she was a wife and she had to give her husband sons. I think the way she sees it, it’s very simple: Narcissa was supposed to be the fulfilment of Druella’s duty, and instead she became the reason Druella ‘failed’. There is nothing Narcissa can do after coming out that is going to make Druella truly proud of her, truly happy to have her as a daughter. I don’t think that stops Narcissa from trying, but her mother very much sees her as a reflection of her personal failure, and she’s not getting back from that. Druella’s heinous, really.

Moving on to Narcissa’s sisters, Bellatrix and Andromeda: this ties back again to being trans or queer in general, is not as big a deal in most of the wizarding world as circumstances can make it. Andromeda is eloped by the time Narcissa comes out, or she’s in the process of running away, and I imagine the biggest feeling she has about it is concern regarding their parents’ reaction. She loves her little sister, though, and if anything she’s disappointed that Narcissa chooses to stay within the family when given the chance instead of just leaving. Bellatrix is a little more complicated, but ultimately positive.

For Bellatrix, I think her feelings are split between this strong protectiveness over her little sister, which is also fuelled by Andromeda having just left and Bellatrix is furious with her and really determined to not lose another one of her sisters. Where Andromeda is disappointed that Narcissa stays, Bellatrix celebrates it. On the other hand, she’s kind of jealous in a way, and that pisses her off. I think between Bellatrix and Narcissa, Bellatrix has always been the oldest and Narcissa has always been the most important. Bellatrix, in a way, would love to have what Narcissa was born into. That importance to the family, that position of power that Narcissa’s grown up in, being the favourite without even really trying. Narcissa was the one her parents had waited for, Bellatrix was ‘just’ the oldest daughter who had to prove herself.

And obviously, it’s not that simple, and it was hell for Narcissa in a different way, but from Bella’s perspective… I can see her being a little pissed off that Narcissa, out of all people, is stepping back from that role that she used to take such pride in and that the family has always prided her on. Ultimately though, Bellatrix also isn’t stupid and she can damn well see that Narcissa is going through it and needs her big sister, and I do genuinely believe that Bellatrix loved her sisters very deeply. It’s the two of them against the world, in a way, and they have each other’s back.

4: Heirs and cousins

Okay so tying back to the importance of Heirs in this godforsaken family. Sirius and Regulus’ reactions to Narcissa’s coming out are painful in two opposing ways. Here it becomes important, too, that Sirius and Narcissa in my headcanons are quite close in age.

Sirius and Narcissa grow up close together as the Heirs to their fathers. That’s such a particular kind of pressure and strain onto a young child that only the two of them really understand. Even compared to other pureblood families, not all of them are quite as uptight and strict. They found a lot of understanding in each other for those first 14 years. Regulus is Sirius’ ’spare’, in a way, and is not raised with quite that same pressure (yet).

The interesting thing here is (and one day I’ll do an entire post on just Sirius and Narcissa bc I love their dynamic) that both Sirius and Narcissa, as they get a little older and enter their teens, stop wanting to be the Heirs to their family. For the different reasons, obviously, but that still happens. Both become, in a way, disillusioned with these ideas that they’ve been raised with all their lives. Both of them, for different reasons and perhaps without expressing this to each other initially, want out.

Because both of them in a relatively short timeframe make it clear that they don’t intend to be these perfect Heirs they were supposed to be for much longer, Regulus gets put in an extremely difficult position. I do think that both Sirius and Narcissa feel a degree of guilt towards him, for that reason, even if they know there wasn’t really another way to make it work. From Regulus’ perspective though… I think he loves Narcissa, and he looks up to her, but for the first while after she comes out, he feels betrayed. He feels like she’s just made his life more difficult for a selfish reason, something he was already starting to feel about Sirius, and he doesn’t respond very well. He gets over that, with time (I think Sirius being officially disowned brings Regulus and Narcissa much closer, as they’ve both experienced that kind of ‘betrayal’ from a sibling. Yeah, seeing your siblings and cousins making choices that benefit them but make your impossible duties harder to fulfill is more often seen as betrayal by these kids then not, apparently).

Sirius, ironically, feels betrayed too.

As I said earlier, I think a lot of what pureblood kids are and aren’t allowed to get away with highly depends on what their siblings and cousins are doing in the meantime. For Sirius, this kinda means that when Narcissa comesout he knows that him running away is going to make things harder for Regulus than they would already have been. That complicates his feelings, but I think Sirius’ main feeling of betrayal actually comes from Narcissa not leaving the family.

I think that when Sirius and Narcissa both came to the conclusion that they didn’t want to be the Heirs of their family anymore, Sirius got a little hopeful. I genuinely think that for a short while there, his plans involved Narcissa being disowned and him being disowned too and the two of them who are already so close being able to make a better life for themselves away from the family that he’s grown to hate. Sirius doesn’t anticipate that Narcissa doesn’t want that. For Narcissa, disownment is a risk she’s willing to accept the consequences of, but when she’s not disowned she’s grateful and she’s happy and she refuses to entertain the idea of voluntarily leaving the family behind.

For that, Sirius feels betrayed. Regulus wants Narcissa to never have come out at all (for a little while), Sirius wants her to go all the way and truly rebel. Narcissa’s stuck in the middle where she always feels safest, and everyone’s left disappointed.

I promise things get a little happier.

5: Narcisssa’s plans moving forward

Looking at the course of her life, I think it’s safe to say that for Narcissa’s genuine happiness and well-being it would’ve been best, actually, if she’d been disowned at fifteen. If she had been forced out of the family, forced to find a different way of living outside of this restrictive family that demanded too much of her, she’d have been better off. But that’s not what happened.

Narcissa isn’t disowned, and to her that’s the best news she could’ve gotten. What this means, however, is that she’s now in a position where the reason she was allowed to stay a part of the Blackfamily, is because there was a chance she could be the perfect daughter neither of her sisters were. She takes that to heart, far too willingly, and it affects almost everything she does moving forward. To Narcissa, in some tragic way of thinking, she owes her family that much. She owes them perfection, because she failed the first time around and her father ‘forgave’ her. Moving forward, a lot of her motivation becomes “making her family proud” which can in a way be translated to “don’t make them regret this decision”. 

And it’s very simple, really: all she has to be is perfect. Narcissa is someone who understands what is expected of her very very well, and for the most part what is expected of her corresponds with what she wants. She knows the rules of pureblood society, and I think from her perspective the most straightforward way of keeping herself safe and protected is by simply following these rules to a tee. She doesn’t push her luck, she keeps her head relatively down and does as told when it matters.

She’s one of those women who genuinely looks forward to marrying a rich man for his last name and have two picture perfect sons for him. While I think she’s a romantic at heart, I also think she’s ultimately realistic and she’s okay with not getting a fairytale marriage if that’s what her family needs. Narcissa takes so much pride in the Black family name, and honestly I think she’s aware that it’s partly that name that means that no one else in pureblood society would dare question her regarding her coming out or her transition. Whether that’s true or not (it entirely depends on other world building, obviously), she’s absolutely grateful for the protection offered by the Black name. Even if her parents are less than pleased about it, even if her mother wants her disowned, as long as she’s not, her mere association with the Black family offers security and a place in society that she otherwise easily could have lost.

In her eyes, the path forward is clear. Be Cygnus’ perfect daughter, become some pureblood wizard’s perfect wife, and raise his perfect children. It’s easy, it’s something she wants, and it’s something she’s genuinely good at. Narcissa understands society, she plays the game very well, and she has a good time playing.

The caveat here is that I do think this comes with the consequence of Narcissa genuinely not having much of an identity beyond the way she exists to other people. This is again something I want to make a separate post on, but for now: Narcissa has been raised to fulfill a purpose, not as a child and a person in her own right. When she transitioned, she didn’t necessarily seek out individuality, either. She sought to change the purpose she fulfilled in her family, and quite frankly being her own person with individual needs and desires was not high on her list of priorities.

Narcissa was raised the Black Heir, and it takes her a really long time to stop identifying herself as much more beyond Cygnus Black’s Daughter or Mrs. Lucius Malfoy, or even simply Draco Malfoy’s mother. Following a canon timeline, I don’t think it’s unrealistic for her to not truly let herself be just Narcissa until the Second War is over. Even when she perceives herself to make a genuinely selfish decision in pushing forward with her transition despite her family’s wishes, she does it in such a way that still does not allow for genuine personal freedom on her part. That’s just not what she seeks out — and it takes her a long time to realise that that’s even something she needs. (That said, fics and headcanons that push her to realise this much sooner are my absolute favourite).

Throughout the rest of her life, she kind of exists in this space between being out and being open about being trans (and being queer in general, I also headcanon her as being bisexual). For obvious reasons, most everyone in the wizarding world who reads Witch Weekly and keeps up a little bit with pureblood society knows that Narcissa’s come out. It’s genuinely big news for the infamous Black Heir to transition. That’s a thing. Narcissa doesn’t mind that that much, it’s something she expected but it’s also the reason she is genuinely very grateful that her family has her back in the eyes of the public.

But after the initial wave of shock and curiosity, when she’s married and she’s on her way of having a baby… she doesn’t mind just never bringing it up again. Narcissa never treats being trans as a secret, and it’s absolutely not something she’s ever ashamed about, but she’s not the kind of person who gets involved in activism or longs to be a spokes person for the trans community. You’ll never see her at a pride parade. It’s honestly a shame, and I think it could do her well to find genuine pride (and not arrogance), but that’s not who she is.

I imagine for Narcissa, it almost feels like her transition is a very specific chapter in her life that happened, that’s past, that she feels no shame about whatsoever, but she sees no reason to revisit it. Most people of Harry’s generation that aren’t purebloods won’t even know, and she doesn’t care if they do (if asked, for whatever reason, she sees no point in hiding. She’s not closeted in any way. She simply passes well and has no desire to bring up the past.)

6: Narcissa’s marriage and having Draco

First things first, the first “but actually” comment I always get if I mention trans!Narcissa is “but she has a child” and quite frankly, fuck that. This is a world with magic and the magic in HP has shitty rules that allow for near anything to be possible. This is also a fandom that loves to write cis teen boys accidentally knocking each other up and if you can make that look plausible in your worldbuilding, a trans woman with the resources and privilege Narcissa has, can damn well make it happen.

That said: her family. This will be a little shorter, because there are so many different interpretations of lucissa and I love so many of them but most of them are pretty similarly influenced by Narcissa being trans, honestly, unless you choose to headcanon Lucius as transphobic which personally, I just don’t want to. (My favourite description of Lucius comes from @nymphadoratonqs's portrayal of him in the sense of him being equally misogynistic towards cis and trans women lmao, but that still doesn’t apply to all lucissa ideas).

Regardless of whether Lucius and Narcissa have this epic love story or if it’s a cold and loveless arranged marriage, Narcissa would’ve married him blindly when her family wanted her to. It’s honestly that simple. To her, Lucius doesn’t have to be Prince Charming, even though she’ll love to be convinced he is. Lucius is simply a part of the duties she has towards her family, and the marriage between them is something she wants not necessarily for love but for the status and protection it provides her with and the good it does for her family’s reputation. I tend to headcanon that Narcissa married Lucius before Bellatrix married Rodolphus, so it was pretty important for her to get married quickly and get married well.

Her marriage to Lucius is in this way simply the next step in what I described in point 5: it’s what she has to do, and it’s something she’s willing to do. She likes being a wife, she genuinely does, and sad as it is, Lucius’ behaviour or care for her does not immediately change that. Whether they are madly in love before they get married, or he doesn’t bother to ask her how her day was for the entirety of the marriage.. She wants to be his wife, and she prides herself on the name Mrs. Lucius Malfoy as much as she prided herself on the name Narcissa Black.

Regarding Draco, Narcissa wants to be a mother. I think she found it quite hard in the first years, and her difficult relationship with her own mother didn’t help in the slightest, but she wants motherhood. It’s a pretty common fanon idea that Lucius and Narcissa struggled to conceive and/or suffered from miscarriages before having Draco, and that’s always been a headcanon I’ve adopted myself too.

Miscarriages happen, that’s just a tragically common fact of nature. Fertility struggles happen. These things are more common than people often acknowledge, and I don’t think the wizarding world is very different, I’d certainly ague that pureblood society is terrible about it. A pureblood witch’s most important duty is to provide her husband with sons and continue that precious bloodline. When Narcissa struggles to get pregnant, and when she loses a pregnancy, she’s both devastated and deeply humiliated.

Obviously it’s not true, but it feels like there is this one thing that she wants and that she also must do, that is expected of her, and is almost something that she feels like should ‘prove’ that she was right to think herself capable of being this perfect wife and daughter. And she fails. There are very few things that she’s quite as private about as her struggles with pregnancy. Up until the moment she’s far enough along with Draco that it feels relatively safe, she insists to anyone who asks that she and Lucius are purposefully waiting until the war settles down to have children. She absolutely refuses to admit to anyone, with perhaps the exception of one or two genuinely close friends, that anything else is happening.

And then there’s Draco.

6B: Raising her son

Draco as we see him in canon is a spoiled brat, a bigoted child, and just a general asshole. Love him or hate him, he takes after his parents and he needs some fucking work. Narcissa loves him more than she’s ever loved anything or anyone.

There’s a lot more to be said about Narcissa and Draco’s relationship, also in relation to Narcissa’s own parents and the war and it’s all so interesting, but for this particular post I’m focusing on the way Narcissa chooses to raise her son, the Malfoy Heir, after her own experiences being her father’s Heir and the pressure and the disappointment of letting him down. Narcissa knows what’s expected of her in regards to raising Draco, and she knows what will be expected of him, but there’s a line.

As I mentioned earlier, while Narcissa never bothers going through effort of hiding being trans, it’s not something she brings up herself and she prefers to live her life without giving people any potential reasons to criticise her. The exception is Draco. She ensures that from a young age, he knows she’s queer, and most important that he knows that should he ever realise he’s queer himself, she’ll understand and she’ll love him. She never wants him to feel quite as trapped in his position in the Malfoy family as she did, and she never wants him to struggle between the decision of potentially being disowned and living a life he can be genuinely happy in. Obviously, in the grand scheme of the war, none of this really ends up mattering, but that’s a very conscious choice she makes when raising Draco.

There are a lot of mistakes she (and Lucius) make when raising their son. Draco’s spoiled rotten, he’s never been told no, and then he’s put in this extremely dangerous situation as a result of his parents’ choices and mistakes. Narcissa, devoted of a mother as she is, fucks up. But she does this right. She really does. There is nothing Draco can do that would make her even consider turning her back on him, and he knows that.

7: Choosing her name

This is both where this headcanon originated and my favourite little tidbit about Narcissa’s character. I strongly believe that her deadname did fit the Black family tradition of stars and constellations and all that fun space stuff. I’ve also said that I very much believe that Narcissa was overjoyed to be able to remain a part of her family, and that she did genuinely strive to be the perfect daughter for her parents.

So why did she choose a name that did not reflect the tradition of the family she loves so dearly?

Long story short: it’s a small reminder, every day, that she did choose herself.

I think she picked the name Narcissa before she came out to her parents, before she knew if she was going to be disowned or not but at a point where she did know that she wasn’t going to be held back by the fear of disownment. She purposefully chose something that had nothing to do with her family because she had to be able to remind herself that as much as she wanted their approval, she didn’t need it. (Of course, as she grows up she does a whole lot more with the explicit purpose of gaining their approval, but Narcissa is nothing if not a very contradictory woman).

The name Narcissa comes from Greek Mythology, and it’s my personal headcanon that especially when she’s younger, she’s quite the little nerd about Greek Mythology. She read the myths in Ancient Greek and all that, and she’s honestly so pretentious about it. (Additionally: Uncle Alphard gave her her first book on mythology as a young child and she’s held onto it ever since). Narcissus is a figure who is so beautiful that just about everyone who meets him falls in love at first sight, and he’s so arrogant that people kill themselves from how cruelly he rejects them. (Literally. There’s one guy who declares his love and says he’ll die without Narcissus’ affection, and Narcissus sends him a dagger in response.) Eventually, cursed by Aphrodite for the way he treated a nymph called Echo, Narcissus falls in love with his own reflection in the water. He withered away, so heartbroken that he could never love himself, until he was transformed into a daffodil.

I think it’s one of Narcissa’s favourite myths for a long time, and when choosing a name it feels almost obvious. Part of her simply genuinely wants to be that beautiful. She wants to be able to look in the mirror and all but fall in love with herself. And she certainly succeeds.

It’s also simply a quiet act of rebellion that no one but her own family would even notice. No one else would actually realise that technically Narcissa isn’t derived from a star, it sounds every bit as pretentious as all the other names. It’s very clever in that way. Only her parents will ever really know just how willing she was to step away from the family for her own sake, until she didn’t have to.

8: A couple of fic recs and ideas

I’ll say there aren’t a lot of works where Narcissa’s explicitly written as trans (there are 23 works in the “trans narcissa black malfoy” tag, and a lot of them are from ships I’m personally not interested in reading). I’ve listed a handful of fics, and a few ideas for stories that I would love to read or write one day.

Excellence by SiriuslySapphic

Yeah yeah I’m starting with a self rec. I’ll also say that though not every Narcissa fic on my page actually goes into detail of Narcissa being trans, all but one WIP is written with trans!narcissa in mind bc that’s just the way I write Narcissa.

Excellence is a Dorcas/Narcissa WIP that starts in fifth year (after the summer that she comes out) and will follow them throughout the first war. It’s about the two of them figuring out who to be in pureblood society, how the war divides everyone, and queerness in the wizarding world with a healthy dose of magical theory later on. It’s not canon compliant (Dorcas doesn’t die), and will be angsty with a happy ending.

A Most Uxorious Tale by TheWakeless

Ux-o-ri-ous def. having or showing an excessive or submissive fondness for one's wife.

This is 40K words of Lucius/Narcissa with the vibes of Morticia and Gomez Addams. It’s mainly canon compliant with a happy ending and it deals with Narcissa’s transition, her childhood, a lot of dark magic and gaining the Dark Lord’s approval. It’s a detailed look at how queerness exists in the wizarding world, and what it’s like to transition within pureblood society.

Two-way Mirror by Lightinthehallway

So I mentioned just how interesting Sirius and Narcissa’s relationship is freaking interesting and her being trans only increases that complicated dynamic. This fic looks at exactly that, except they’re both trans and it’s a whole thing and there’s pain and betrayal and trust, and I love it. Andromeda’s reaction in this really hurt me, but I also kinda like that complicated take on their relationship. This is also a fascinating look at how coming out goes differently in both branches of the Black family, and how it interacts with existing family dynamics!

And some ideas: I think it’d be so interesting to write about Narcissa a little bit later in life, perhaps while Draco and his friends are growing up. Fics with conversations between Narcissa and Draco, maybe, or him coming out to her later in life?? I also love the the trans!pansy headcanon, and I’d honestly love to see fics or hcs where Narcissa is this kind of role model to younger pureblood kids and just?? Please?

I also really love the idea of Narcissa after the second war getting the chance to live a life for herself, in a world where pureblood society and last names matter a little less than she was used to growing up. Narcissa being able to figure out who she is beyond last names and titles, as long as it may take? (This works beautifully in combination with a lot of different post war ships, too! A current favourite of mine is Remus/Narcissa healing after the war).

(I’m obsessed with Narcissa learning the beauty of individuality and personhood) so another idea is literally any AU that lets her get out of the Black family as it works. Narcissa who gets disowned when she comes out, is devastated, and in the long run finds she’s better for it. Narcissa who runs away willingly when Sirius does, or who ends up on Andromeda’s doorstep shortly after Hogwarts because she’s come to the realisation that she matters as more than a Role.

Conclusion / TLDR

The basics of everything I just said (it’s a grand total of 7K words) can be summarised as “Trans!narcissa comes out at about 15 in a family that values the contribution children make to the family reputation over absolutely everything else. She’s not disowned because her father decides to let her prove herself worthy of carrying the Black name after all, and she genuinely wants to make it her life purpose to basically not let him down. She struggles a lot with the concept of being an individual and does not see this as a problem, but she raises Draco with an insane amount of spoiling and a genuinely healthy dose of you are loved and will never have to fear being thrown out over something you can’t help. Her name is its own little form of rebellion that no one but her parents really notice and it also shows off that she’s a tiny little nerd at heart.”

Otherwise, I don’t really know how to end meta posts like these so…? That was that? I hope this was an interesting read. If anyone has any like questions or recs or just thoughts my inbox is open lmao I love to waste time talking about Narcissa Malfoy.

[flu5zn]

⠀✼⠀⠀.⠀⠀⠀،،⠀PROLOGUE :   BALANCE.

almost. it’s a big word for me. i feel it everywhere. almost home. almost happy. almost changed. almost, but not quite. not yet. soon, maybe.⠀┉⠀from, “Almost Home” by joan bauer.

&.⠀ʿʿ⠀CHARACTERS﹕DEVIN XIE feat. her family. &.⠀ʿʿ⠀WORD COUNT﹕1.7K &.⠀ʿʿ⠀WARNINGS﹕swearing, drugs, weird family dynamics, corey catches a stray. &.⠀ʿʿ⠀NOTES﹕gonna be doing a little prologue series as kind of a character study for each of the members to give insight into what they were doing before the band. as well as some of the things that shaped their choice to join the band.

Devin could never tell when her parents were angry with her. Whether it was because they were always angry with her or because she never cared enough to figure it out, she wasn't quite sure. She wasn't exactly the perfect daughter, that she can admit. But their perpetual disappointment in her never bothered her as much as they liked to think it did.

She had developed her brand of nonchalance pretty early on. Always the child who rolled her eyes while her parents gave important speeches to important people, always the child those same important people avoided making small talk with. By the time she was old enough to drive, Devin did her best to avoid those important speeches altogether. But if she couldn't, there was always a group of misfit nepo babies with plenty of substances that numbed her spirit in ways only designer drugs could. Getting high was often the only time she felt truly free. Outside of the watchful eyes of her older sisters, and their parents, and the scrutiny of her parents' high positions. 

Inside her bubble of intoxication, a reality fabricated entirely for herself allowed her to pretend she was nobody for a few drugged moments. Devin was always at peace when she was within that paradise. Her breathing slowed, her pupils blown, her speech slowed with a smile that curved at the edges of lips that had yet to be touched by a surgeon. Her best friends, Corey and Genesis, called her selfish. Claiming the little care she had while sober disappeared as she immersed herself within her hazy world.

"Sometimes I start to care about you and wonder where you disappear to. Then, I remember who you are and I care less." 

Jennifer always reminded Devin of a bitter old woman. Hardened by the burden of being the eldest daughter and the weight of perfection on her shoulders, it was no secret why Jennifer had always been such a hardass. 

Devin's eyes rolled impossibly far at her sister's words. "If I wanted your sympathy I would've keeled over and put a bullet in my head by now. Fuck off, Jenn."

The two weren't close, they never got the chance to be. Equally stubborn, and equally stoic, the sisters were at odds from the moment Devin was born. As the story goes, four-year-old Jennifer was the first to make the very quiet baby Devin cry when her parents first took her home from the hospital. 

It should be worth mentioning that Marilyn Xie was a known compulsive liar, a fact a very young Devin had been fed by her father, George, when her mother had still been a subject of her admiration.

It was interesting to see the two sisters interact. It wasn't that they hated each other. No— Jennifer thought Devin too resourceful to resent her, and Devin found Jennifer too resilient to be anything more than a nuisance. In all honesty, the sisters' relationship was complicated. Perhaps if they were born into a different family they would've been closer, perhaps not. Devin never cared much to ponder the possibility for too long. It gave her a headache to consider alternative timelines. 

To Jennifer’s credit, however, she wasn't Evelyn. 

"You're so fucking tense, go get laid and lighten up Chrissy." 

Evelyn always made it a point to call Devin by her birth name. She held that power over her younger sister and dangled the name over her head, daring her to lash out. Devin never did lash out, she knew better than to be upset over anything Evelyn could come up with to insult her. No matter how low.

Evelyn was much too intelligent to be aloof or indifferent—no matter how much she tried to act it. Devin never quite understood the second eldest daughter and all the peculiarities of her behavior. Dubbed a "gifted" child before she could consistently perform long division, Evelyn was always "just enough". She was the planned second child, the smart one with the perfect arrangement of genes that gifted her a beauty that surpassed all of her siblings.

"My options are getting slim considering you've fucked half of Manhattan at this point." 

Admittedly a gross exaggeration, Devin, and Evelyn ran in close circles. Only two classes above her younger sister, Evelyn had somehow managed to make connections with anyone remotely close to Devin. Her shadow remained large over Devin’s very existence, towering over her despite being nearly four inches shorter. 

"Half of Manhatten thinks you’re a bitch anyways," with a huff Evelyn was off to god knows where. She did that often, as their parents liked to willfully ignore. For every pointed observation Jennifer made of Devin's habits, their parents constructed three more double standards to support their bias toward their two eldest daughters. 

Evelyn never peeved Devin the way that Jennifer did. Devin knew better than to cross Evelyn who was much more resentful than Jennifer ever had the energy to be. 

On the last occasion Devin had decided to test the grasp of Evelyn’s wrath, she had ended up with a headache. The kind of headache you only get when you witness your best friend, tiptoe across the edge of his father’s penthouse after experiencing his first heartbreak at the hands of your gorgeous older sister.

"Evelyn cheated on Corey because she’s a bitch and that’s just what she does. Not sure what that has to do with you." Stephanie had always been the most agreeable of Devin's four sisters.

The two weren't close by any meaning of the word. They simply tolerated each other enough to get along for an extended period. Finding a common enemy in Jennifer’s self-righteousness brought the girls together once Stephanie entered high school. Often locking themselves in Devin's room to smoke weed, the burn of grapefruit-scented candles mixing with the potent herb to create a smell that only meant trouble. It wasn’t lost on Devin that Stephanie would never go further than smoking. The fourth daughter leaned empty-handed against walls Devin and her friends would crouch next to when they snorted lines off tables. She’d pretend she didn’t see them, keeping guard at the door before some sleeve offered her a joint to keep her busy.

It was a mystery to Devin how Stephanie managed to fly under their parents' radar for this long when considering how defiant the fourth daughter's true nature was. Though she had considered it might be her cowardice that allowed her to coast by for so long, Devin was convinced she would snap at some point— she never did.

"It has everything to do with me. Corey's a whore, and Evelyn doesn't put enough effort into finding guys I don’t know, to fuck with." Devin sighs, smoke leaving her lips at the sound.

"Fuck this," Stephanie spat, almost mirroring the vengefulness of Evelyn’s nature. 

Devin often noted the patterns of her elder sisters' behaviors that embedded themselves into Stephanie’s behavior. In all honesty, Stephanie didn't have much of a personality of her own. She was a copycat; doomed to comparisons and repetition. She was the fourth child born to their parents, the manifestation of an obsession with righting the ways they went wrong with Jennifer’s stoicism and Evelyn’s callousness and Devin’s nonchalance. 

To their credit, it worked. 

Devin never could get past Stephanie’s absence of a unique personality. She agreed with everything she said, grew angry when expected to, and suppressed every urge of rebellion Devin knew she was capable of in favor of the security of her trust fund.

Despite her faults, however, no one remotely bothered Devin the way Victoria did.

"Mom and Dad miss you. They're asking when you'll come to visit."

Poor, sweet Victoria Xie. The perfect culmination of George and Marilyn’s parental experiences—and fittingly, hated by all four of her elder sisters. 

A perfectionist by both nature and nurture, Victoria could do no wrong. Devin was convinced her youngest sister was physically incapable of disappointing their parents. Though Jennifer praised the youngest for being everything Devin wasn't, even she knew Jennifer wouldn't miss hearing of Victoria's consistent perfection.

"Victoria, stop—" 

Devin often found herself high-strung around the youngest Xie sister. Annoyed by her name itself before she ever got to hear her sing-songy Disney Princess tone. 

"Christina, I said they miss you." 

She often spoke through gritted teeth, holding back her words and reminding herself of her place within the family. She wasn't devoted enough, much less pampered enough by her parents to speak to Victoria the way she could the others. She had to coax herself back into the familiarity of carelessness before she could have any sort of conversation with Victoria. 

She was much too sweet, much too often for Devin's comfort. And as Victoria grew older, Devin was sure she became aware of how much the middle child resented having to hold any sort of contact with her. Yet, if she felt any feelings at all for the way Devin avoided her, Victoria never showed it.

Of all four of Devin's sisters, Victoria was the only one who could ever get Devin to care. She liked to imagine her parents used this to their advantage. Drawing Devin out of her isolated existence on the other side of the world to get her to make appearances; an effort to keep up their reputation.

Of all four of Devin's sisters, Victoria remained the only one who could bend Devin to her every will and whim. Though they were frequently their parents' wills and whims, Devin knew better than to cross Victoria. She was much too perfect, too much of the time. 

Devin could never compete with perfection.

"Tell them I'll make it for brunch next week." 

Her manicured hands massaged her temples with her phone lodged between her right ear and her shoulder blade. Nursing at her headache gave her a moment of clarity, just in time to hear Victoria's response.

"Perfect," her tone perfectly bright. "I’ve already sent you the plane tickets, see you next week, Chrissy."